We'll Laugh Together
by MisfitGirl3390
Summary: On a quest of become the best writer she can be, Aniyah Bluebell moves in with her best friend, Bruce Wayne to wander and gather research around Gotham. Once she digs a bit, too deep, Aniyah is facing an adventure that she hopes she'll live long enough to write about.
1. DISCLAIMER

_**I Do Not Own The Joker Blogs Or The Dark Knight. I Only Own My Characters & The Plot Not Involving The Joker Blogs. **_


	2. Chapter 1

" Turn around and come back while you're still breathing!" Was yelled through the phone at the woman who was driving. She chuckled. " Michaela, I'll be fine, calm down." The woman said. " Aniyah this is dangerous! That town is dangerous!". " You worry too much! Besides, I'm staying with Bruce. I'm sure he has good security." Aniyah shrugged. " You're moving there for writing, Aniyah. That means you won't be in Bruce's penthouse 24/7, you'll be on the streets!" Michaela was honestly freaking out. Aniyah was a very close friend and she didn't want to see her hurt. " I'll be fine, I promise!" Aniyah said as she parked her car.

" Besides, if somethings happens, I'll leave Gotham A.S.A.P so you can be there to say 'Told you so'." She said. "...Alright, fine! But I'm telling Bruce to keep an eye on you. Be careful, please!" Michaela said. " Okay! Look, I'm at the penthouse, safe and sound. I'll talk to you later tonight." Aniyah said. " Okay..bye." Michaela sighed. " Bye, love you!" With that, Aniyah hung up and got out of her car. She grabbed her laptop bag and her suitcase before locking her doors and walking inside the building to be greeted by Alfred. " Alfred! It's been what? Two years?" Aniyah smiled. " Three years to be exact." Alfred took Aniyah's suitcase.

" Master Bruce is waiting for you. Do you have any more luggage?" He asked her. " No, that's all. You should know I don't carry a lot." Aniyah stated, following Alfred into the elevator. " So what did I miss? Did Bruce do anything special without me?" She asked. " Master Bruce is exactly how you left him, Aniyah." Alfred smiled and nodded as they stepped off the elevator. " Ah, so busy as Hell then. I'm looking forward to spending time with you, Alfred." Aniyah joked, looking around. " You didn't change at all." Bruce stood up from his seat. " Still rude, and mean." He said. " Rude and mean? Oh please! I'm the nicest person that you know." Aniyah rolled her eyes playfully and put down her laptop bag and gave Bruce a tight hug. " And that's no way to greet your best friend." Aniyah smiled. " You're crazy, you know that?" Bruce asked, hugging her back. " Gotham isn't really the best place on the map." He said. " I'll be fine! I'm living with a millionaire after all." Aniyah said, pulling away from the hug. " Billionaire." Bruce corrected her, smirking.

Aniyah raised an eyebrow. " Don't get cocky." She said. Aniyah grabbed her notebook and pen. " So! Mind if I head up to the Police Department?" She smiled sweetly. " Aniyah, you just got here. How about you just come to work with me today?" Bruce asked. Aniyah pouted. " I won't get into trouble, Bruce! I just want to sit and watch, ya know, research." She tried to convince him. " Then you'll have no problem with doing your research later. Besides, I want to spend time with my best friend." Bruce put an arm around Aniyah. She groaned slightly but nodded anyway. " fine, Mister Billionaire. It wouldn't hurt to sit through a meeting." She said. " Then grab dinner. Because you know, I haven't seen you in three years." Bruce raised an eyebrow.

Aniyah rolled her eyes and smirked. " You know I feel about all that fancy-". " Hey. I never said anything like that. There's a nice diner that has the best burgers." Bruce said. Aniyah's eyes lit up as she smiled. " See, this is why you're my best friend! Let's do this thing." She put her notebook into her laptop bag and slung it over her shoulder as she put her pen in her pocket and followed Bruce out of the door.

 ****

 _' This is more boring than last time I sat through a meeting with him.'_ Aniyah thought while typing on her computer. She zoned out a while ago and she already wasn't too fond of the businessmen for questioning her earlier. Growing bored of the story she was working on, she added a new tab and started to do more research on Gotham. _' You miss a lot in three years, huh? Who the Hell is Batman?'_ She thought, while scrolling through pictures. She came upon a website and the description had Arkham Asylum bolded. Aniyah leaned in and read further. _' Home for the Criminally Insane?'_ Aniyah went back to the search box and quickly typed in 'Criminals of Gotham'. The Joker was the first to pop up. She raised her eyebrows ans began reading through the website. She blinked a few times, looking at the picture of the left over burnt wood and ash of an hospital. _' He, blew up, a hospital. Killed several people, and, this website says he had NO motive what so ever?'_ Aniyah wasn't buying that at all. _' There must be more to the story.'_ She searched up Arkham Asylum again to see if she could find pictures of the inside but she couldn't find any.

She raised an eyebrow, now determined to find out more about this asylum. " Aniyah." She blinked and looked over at Bruce. " The meeting's over. You can pack up." He said. Aniyah nodded and shut down her laptop. " It's about time." She mumbled, making Bruce chuckle. " That meeting was so boring I even saw you zone out a few times." Aniyah chuckled. He shrugged slightly and stood up. " I wasn't interested in their offer." He said while putting on his jacket. " What were you over there researching?" He asked her. " Crimes in Gotham and boy did I miss a lot." She huffed, putting away her laptop. " Who the Hell is The Joker?" She asked as Bruce shook his head. " A madman who'll be locked away for a long time." He said. " So I take it madmen like him are locked away in Arkham Asylum, huh?" Aniyah asked. " I guess your research didn't give you enough information." Bruce chuckled, walking towards the elevator. " You guessed right, . Now come on! Spill it!". " It's a Home for the Criminally Insane." Bruce said. " I know that much. Do they allow visitors?" Aniyah asked.

" No." Bruce shook his head. _' Damn.'_ Aniyah started to think of other ways to learn more about the asylum. " Before you make up some crazy plan-". " Crazy plan?" Aniyah raised an eyebrow. " It's written all over your face." Bruce poked her forehead. " I do find what they're doing, so I'll call up there so you can visit." He finished. " Yes! Awesome!" She cheered. " Of course, you'll be with a doctor the entire time." Bruce added. " Of course." Aniyah rolled her eyes playfully.

" Busy. Very busy. Almost as busy as you." She poked Bruce's arm as they walked outside. " I doubt that." Bruce opened the car door for Aniyah. Once she was in the car he closed the door. " Yes, burgers!" Aniyah cheered as Bruce got in the car. " You act like a twelve year old sometimes." He sighed. " Tch, please! I'm scared you might replace me with one of your toy cars!" Aniyah retorted, pointing at the car they were in as Bruce drove off.


	3. Chapter 2

Aniyah yawned, slowly sitting up. " When did I fall asleep?" She mumbled, moving some orange hair from her face. " You fell asleep while watching TV with Master Bruce." Alfred answered, handing her a tray with a plate of waffles, scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and a glass of apple juice. Aniyah's favorite breakfast. " So Bruce slept on the couch?" Aniyah groaned, sitting up more and putting the tray on her lap. " I told him I would do that." She sighed, taking a forkful of waffles into her mouth. " My God, Alfred! These are amazing!" She exclaimed.

" It's my job, Aniyah." Alfred nodded, smiling slightly. " Master Bruce didn't want you sleeping on the couch. He also has a lot to do today, so he is already gone." He said. " Okay." Aniyah nodded, sipping her apple juice. " You also have something to do today. Master Bruce called Commissioner Gordon and informed him that you were coming in to do research." Alfred said. Aniyah smiled. " Awesome! I guess that means I'm getting ready too then!" She said.

Aniyah quickly ate the rest of her food as Alfred left to let her change. Once she was done eating, she grabbed her suitcase and pulled out her favorite outfit: Black high-waisted skinny jeans, a white T-Shirt, a black and white flannel, and black boots. She got dressed and pulled her faded orange hair back into a ponytail, mentally reminding herself to redye her hair. After brushing her teeth and putting on a bit of makeup, Aniyah left Bruce's room and grabbed her laptop bag and car keys. " See ya later, Alfred!" Aniyah called. " Have a good day, Aniyah." He said back.

Aniyah was excited. She really did want to know why Gotham was so much more dangerous than it was last time she was there. She got into her car and plugged her aux cord into her phone, hooking it up to the radio. " Let's see, yesterday was metal, which, wasn't exactly my style...so I'll try rock today." She mumbled. Aniyah opened her music app and clicked on rock, then randomly clicked on the song before starting her car and driving off.

 ** _You've got me shaking from the way you're talking  
My heart is breaking but there's no use crying  
What a cyanide surprise you have left for my eyes  
If I had common sense I'd cut myself or curl up and die_**

" This song isn't that bad." Aniyah hummed slightly. She felt like she's heard the song before, she just didn't remember where.

 ** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts  
If this is love I don't want to be loved  
You pollute the room with a filthy tongue  
Watch me choke it down so I can throw it up  
Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts  
If this is love I don't want to be hanging by the neck  
Before an audience of death_**

Once the chorus was over, Aniyah was at the Police Station. Grabbing her notebook and pen, she got out of her car, glancing up at the tall buildings around her and smiling slightly. " I still prefer the great outdoors." She mumbled walking into the Police Station. Aniyah looked around the building. Not much was happening, people sitting at their desks, doing paperwork. Her auburn eyes caught dark brown ones staring at her. A woman with long, curly hair, glaring her way. _' Nice first impression Miss Ma'am.'_ Aniyah thought, scoffing lightly. " You must be Ms. Bluebell." Aniyah hummed slightly, looking to her right.

The man before her looked to be middle aged. Grey hair, glasses and about four inches taller then her 5'5" stature. " Well, I prefer Aniyah, Commissioner Gordon?" She asked. " That's me. We've been having slow days, so unless you want to watch people do paperwork, I don't think there are things out here you want to see." Gordon said, making Aniyah chuckle lightly. " I suppose you're right. I'm not a fan of paperwork. Do you mind if I just ask some questions?" She asked. " Not at all. Follow me." Aniyah nodded and followed Gordon to his office, sitting down in front of his desk

" What do you plan on writing about?" Gordon asked her, sitting down. " I honestly don't know yet. I do know that it has something to do with crime." Aniyah said. " I usually go with the flow when it comes to research and whatever comes to me is what I do." She explained. " Sounds like an interesting process, since it brought you to Gotham." Gordon said. " Well, Bruce lives here and I don't own a penthouse, so of course I took the opportunity." Aniyah chuckled. " But, Commissioner, I should be asking the questions." She said playfully, opening her notebook. " As a Commissioner, what kind of traits do you think are needed to be good at your job?" She asked.

" Well, you have to be trustworthy. If no one trusts you, things will fall apart." Gordon said. " I can believe it." Aniyah nodded, writing down the trait. " What else? Hardworking? Dedicated?" Aniyah asked. " Exactly." Gordon nodded as Aniyah wrote down the two traits. " Do you consider your job dangerous?" She asked. " It varies, but yes. I do consider it dangerous." Gordon answered. " Was there ever a time when your life was directly threatened?" Aniyah asked, still writing. " I wouldn't say directly, but it's my job to protect the people. I've had my life threatened before. I've been shot-". " Shot? Trying to protect who?" Aniyah quickly looked up. " They Mayor. I guess you didn't look into The Joker like I thought you would." Gordon said.

Aniyah's eyes lit up some. " I did yesterday, but there wasn't much information. You don't mind if I ask questions about him, do you?" She asked. " Ask away. Just now I might not answer certain questions." Gordon said. Aniyah nodded. " So, The Joker? Where did he come from? Why did he do what he did to the city?" She asked. " No one knows The Joker's background, but him. He did what he did to prove a point.". " Prove a point? I guess he isn't a cliche criminal." Aniyah clicked her tongue, hitting a dead end. If she wanted to know The Joker's motives, she'll have to ask him herself, and she definitely wasn't going to do that.

" What else did he do?" Aniyah asked. Before Gordon could answer, his phone started to ring. He looked at it. " Have to take this. Sorry, Aniyah." He said quickly. " It's fine." She nodded as he walked away. _' Now what? Most likely he'll have to bail on me. Maybe I can drive around town.'_ Aniyah thought, tapping her pen against her notebook. _' Or I could go take a look at Arkham Asylum.'_ She raised an eyebrow but decided against it, knowing that Bruce wouldn't want her to go. " Aniyah." She hummed slightly and looked up at Gordon. " Something came up. I hope you don't mind." He said. " Not at all! You're a busy man! It was very nice meeting you." Aniyah smiled, shook his hand, and left the building.

" Going back to that diner wouldn't hurt." She mumbled, getting into her car. Her phone started to ring as she started her car. Aniyah picked it up, not bothering to see who was calling. " Hello?". " Good, you're alive." Michaela sighed. Aniyah chuckled. " I told you that you worry too much." She said, driving off. " Anything could happen! I have a right to worry." Michaela said. " Hey. I'm fine, okay? No need to worry! Besides, Bruce will-" The line beeped, cutting Aniyah off. She quickly pulled the phone away from her ear to see that Bruce was calling. She put the phone back to her ear. " Speak of the Devil. Hold on, let me talk to him." With that, she put Michaela on hold and answered Bruce's call.

" Hey there, Mr. Billionaire." She said. " Still with Gordon?" Bruce asked. " Nope. I'm heading to the diner for a burger and a milkshake." Aniyah said. " Don't go around exploring.". " Don't worry, Dad, I panned on heading back home after eating." She rolled her eyes as Bruce chuckled. " Now did you need anything? I've got Mom on the other line." She smirked. " Me and Michaela are just worried about you. But I did call for a reason other than checking on you and I'm sure you'll be happy to hear this. I got a doctor you can follow around Arkham Asylum tomorrow." Bruce said. " Yes! Perfect!" Aniyah smiled. " I'l going to drop you off though." He added. " That's perfectly fine. I'll see you later though, Bruce. Michaela is waiting." She said. " Alright." With that, she hung up to talk to Michaela. " Sorry that took so long." Aniyah said, parking her car across the street from the diner.

" Don't worry, it's fine. So your mind is made up, huh? You're staying in Gotham?" Michaela asked. " Yup. But don't stress. You know I don't stay in one place for too long." Aniyah got out of her car.

" Yeah, I guess you're right. And your stories are pretty interesting. What did you do today?" Michaela asked. " I talked to the Commissioner today. Yesterday I did research. I'm sure you know that they have a Home for the Criminally Insane here. It's called Arkham Asylum. But there's one criminal in particular that came up the most so far." Aniyah explained as she crossed the street. " Oh God." Michaela mumbled, making Aniyah smirk.

While Aniyah was in the diner, she told Michaela everything she knew about Arkham Asylum and The Joker, leaving out no details. " What the Hell?! Why do you sound so interested in this? You're scaring me." Michaela said. " I'm not going to do anything stupid, I promise!" Aniyah said, taking a bite of her burger. " It's not like I'm going to see The Joker in person or anything." She said in between chews. "...You're going to Arkham Asylum, aren't you?" Michaela asked. Aniyah chuckled, grabbing her chocolate milkshake. " ANIYAH!". " I'll be fine!" Aniyah laughed. She always loved Michaela's reactions when it comes to things like this.

" Aniyah, you don't know what could happen!" Michaela was basically screaming through the phone now. " I'll be fine! I'll be with a doctor the entire time. I promise, nothing will happen." Aniyah assured Michaela. " There's no stopping this, is there?" Michaela sighed. " Be careful in there! And if something happens, get out of there!" She said. " I will, I will, I promise!" Aniyah nodded. " I'm heading home now, I'll talk to you later." She said. " Okay." Michaela said. Aniyah hung up and paid for her food before leaving. She had to get ready for tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 3

" Aniyah, you better stay with this doctor." Bruce said as they both got in his car. " Don't worry, I will." Aniyah groaned. " Look. This is the tenth time you said something to me. I'm not going to do anything stupid." She fixed her white bow tie before running her fingers through her hair. " Yeah. Yeah." Bruce mumbled, driving off. " And I told Michaela to call you so she won't blow my phone up." Aniyah added. " Why make me deal with her?". " Don't be mean! Michaela would love to hear from you." Aniyah chuckled, yawning. " Ugh. Why does this have to be so early." She grumbled. " Aniyah. It's 1:30." Bruce glanced at her. " Hey. I stayed up late.". " Sucks to you." Bruce chuckled.

" Wooowww. This building gives me the creeps." Aniyah looked up at Arkham Asylum as Bruce pulled up. " Don't back out now." Bruce taunted. " You wish." Aniyah smirked, taking off her seat belt. Bruce grabbed her arm before she could get out of the car. Aniyah looked back at him. " Be careful, Aniyah." He said. Aniyah gave him a reassuring smile. " I will." She nodded. Aniyah got out of the car and walked into the building, looking around. _' This place is huge.'_ She thought. " Ms. Bluebell?" Aniyah looked over to see a young woman walking towards her. " That's me. Call me Aniyah though. Ms. Bluebell makes me sound old." Aniyah chuckled. " Well, Aniyah. You can call me Dr. Harrison." The woman smiled. She was the same height as Aniyah with bright red hair and deep blue eyes. " And you're going to need this for who we're visiting first." Dr. Harrison pulled out a vibrant pink flower. " Oh...This is pretty." Aniyah mumbled, taking the flower.

" This is a hollyhock, and I'm sure Patient 3395 will love it." Dr. Harrison began to walk and Aniyah followed. " Patient 3395?" She asked. " Yes. Poison Ivy." Dr. Harrison said. _' Ohhh.'_ Aniyah thought. " That makes sense." She said, following the doctor downstairs. " How long have you been doing this?" She asked Dr. Harrison. " Ten years now." The red head answered. " So, it's safe to say that you like your job?" Aniyah asked, eyeing the door at the end of the hall. " Yup. It's interesting. I never have a boring day." Dr. Harrison said. " Writing about a doctor in your book?" She glanced at Aniyah. " I might. I don't know yet. Most of that was just genuine curiosity." Aniyah smiled slightly. The two men guarding the door eyes Aniyah carefully.

" She's with me boys." Dr. Harrison stopped in front of them. " So she's the writer then." One of the guards stared Aniyah down, making her look down at her notebook. " Yes. Don't be mean." Dr. Harrison opened the cell door and walked inside. " This place isn't for people like you. But apparently can't see how dangerous this is." The guard staring at her stated. Aniyah nodded. " Well. Money can really get you places." Aniyah replied, glancing up at the man. " By your first impression, you don't belong here either.". " At least I can protect myself if something bad happens." The guard shot back. " Hm. Good for you. You never heard someone tell you not to piss of a book writer?" Aniyah raised her eyebrow. " Don't be surprised if you magically become the stereotypical asshole in one of my books." With that, Aniyah followed Dr. Harrison inside the cell.

" Pamela? Are you awake?" Dr. Harrison asked. The cell closed behind Aniyah as she stared at all of the plants that surrounded the cell. " Yes, Doctor." Aniyah's auburn eyes snapped in the direction the voice came from as vibrant green eyes stared back at her. " As you can see, we have a guest. This is Aniyah. She's an author." Dr. Harrison said. " Hi." Aniyah smiled slightly, staring at Poison Ivy. She didn't respond at first, she just stared at Aniyah. " Hello." She finally said. Aniyah put her pen in her pocket and walked towards Poison Ivy cautiously, offering her the pink hollyhock. " Beautiful." Poison Ivy walked towards Aniyah and took the flower from her. The flower began to grow and bloom as Aniyah watched in fascination. " That's amazing." She smiled. Poison Ivy glanced at her. " Thank you. Your book, the science fiction one, what was it called?" She asked. " Uh, my, oh! You mean _Take Me Back Home_?" Aniyah asked. " Yes, that one. I really liked it." Poison Ivy said. Aniyah's eyes widened slightly. " R-Really? Thank you." She smiled brightly as Poison Ivy nodded.

" So, how was your day, Pamela?" Dr. Harrison asked. " Same as any other day. It would be nice to go outside for some fresh air once in a while." Poison Ivy responded, stroking the pedals of the flower. " You know we can't do that." Dr. Harrison sighed. " Was there anything interesting that happened today?" She asked. " No. Nothing yet." Poison Ivy said. "...Yet?" Aniyah asked. Poison Ivy glanced at her. " Hm. Well, I do want to ready your next book, so I suppose I should warn you." She said. " Warn her about what?" Dr. Harrison asked quickly. " By now, Patient 4479 should have helped someone out of their cell. The plan is to shut off the power. I don't mind. This light is stopping my beautiful plants from growing the way their supposed to." Poison Ivy focused on her flower again. " What?" Dr. Harrison's eyes widened as Aniyah glanced at her. " You should get Aniyah out of here before something bad happens." Poison Ivy put her flower down. " And thank you for this lovely flower." She said. _' The day I visit is the day shit goes wrong? Are you fucking kidding me?'_ Aniyah thought. She wasn't ready to leave just yet. She at least wanted to see more of the building.

" Thank you, Pamela." Dr. Harrison grabbed Aniyah's arm and they walked out of the cell. " Well this was a fun visit." Aniyah deadpanned. " We'll see if we can do this another time. I don't know if she's telling the truth or not, but I can't take any chances." Dr. Harrison said. " Not with 4479." She mumbled. " Who is Patient 4479?" Aniyah asked, raising her eyebrows as she watched Dr. Harrison tense up. " I can't t-" The lights went out in the basement, cutting Dr. Harrison off. " Run!" She pushed Aniyah forward and she immediately ran off, jetting upstairs to a different floor.

" Shit." Aniyah mumbled as the power went out on that floor as well. If the power was out, that means the cells were open. " Bruce will never let me hear the end of this!" She groaned, running down the hall. Aniyah heard footsteps coming in her direction, so she quickly slid into a cell and closed the door. She heard the footsteps go past and sighed with relief. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she tried to calm down. Suddenly, her phone began to ring, making her jump. " For fuck's sake." She quickly answered it before anyone else could hear it. " Hello?". " Where are you? The doctor said the power went out and the inmates are loose." Bruce said. " I'm fine, I'm hiding. I'm not that adventurous, Bruce." Aniyah chuckled nervously, still trying to calm her nerves.

" Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you." With that, Bruce hung up. Aniyah sighed and put her phone away. " Bruce?" Aniyah froze, hearing the raspy voice behind her. _' Shit! I forgot to check the cell before I ran in here!'_ She scolded herself. " As in, Bruce Wayne? So, uh, you must be that little writer the guards were talking about." Aniyah heard the man getting closer, and that's what snapped her out of her trance. She quickly opened the cell door and took off, but before she could go anywhere, the man grabbed Aniyah by her hair and yanked her back into the cell, slamming her against the now closed metal door. Aniyah closed her eyes tightly and groaned. She heard a loud click. " There goes the emergency power." The man chuckled.

Aniyah tried to pry the man's hands off of her, digging her nails into his skin. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times to get her vision together. Once she looked at the man holding her down, fear immediately washed over her and she took her hands away. It was The Joker. His dark hazel eyes scanned her auburn ones as he licked his lips. _' Fucking perfect, Aniyah! Good job!'_ She thought to herself. Aniyah's eyes went from his faded green hair, to his scarred, red pained lips, to the numbers, 4479 on his orange jumpsuit before pressing herself closer to the metal door behind her.

" Now. Since you're stuck here, we might as well get along, right- _ah_?" He asked. Aniyah slowly nodded, wishing she could melt through the door. Her legs were getting weaker by the second. " I'm glad you agree. Hm. Book writing. I might have to read one of your books. From what I heard, you came here to do, research. Am I wrong?" The Joker asked. "...No." Aniyah answered quietly. " Well don't act so bashful! I'd be honored to answer any questions that you have." He let Aniyah go and turned away from her. " Seeing that you're not leaving any time soon." He added. Aniyah struggled to stand up straight. " Why, are you, still here?" She asked, staying against the metal door. " Why would I leave? I love it here!" The Joker snickered. " What?" She mumbled. " So, did you kill all those people and blow up a hospital to get sent here?" Aniyah's tone came out stronger than she expected and she immediately regretted it. " No." The Joker glanced at her. " You see, I don't plan things. I'm not a guy with a plan- _ah_." He stated.

" So you're saying you didn't plan anything you did?" Aniyah's eyes widened a bit. " That's right, doll." He faced her again. " You didn't do it for money?" She asked. " I burned the money." He responded. " You, burned the money? You did this to prove a point. What were you trying to prove?" Aniyah asked. " That's it's easy for society to slip into madness if you simply, mess up their order." The Joker answered. "..Chaos?" She furrowed her eyebrows together. " I'm impressed! No one ever gets that right! I suppose writers are smarter than everyone else- _ah_." The Joker walked towards her. " You use your imagination. Stay like that. Means you're _un-pre-dic-ta-ble_." He carefully said every syllable as he poked Aniyah's forehead, leaning against the door. Aniyah stared at him with wide eyes as he stared back at her. The Joker averted his eyes before looking back at her in amusement.

"..That was a compliment." He stated. "..Thank you." Aniyah replied, pressing herself against the door more. " Tell me, doll. Have you ever seen a dead body?" The Joker asked. _' Oh God. This is how I die.'_ Aniyah thought, looking away and closing her eyes tightly. " It's just a simple question. I've seen my share." He said. " Y-Yes. I've seen a dead body before." Aniyah answered. " I'm not talking about the ones you see at a funeral. That's where they all end up. I'm talking about when that little spark of life, disappears- _ah_. And all that's left is an inadequate object." The Joker's description made Aniyah open her eyes and look up at him, slightly interested. " Have you ever seen one of those?" He asked. "...No." Aniyah shook her head. " Well you should. It's a good experience for a writer." The Joker said.

" Aniyah? Aniyah!" Bruce called. Aniyah glanced at the door. " Come back and visit, Ani-yah." The Joker licked his lips and shot her a smile before punching the cell door, making her yelp loudly. He let out a chuckle at Aniyah's reaction. The door swung open, causing Aniyah to fall back. Bruce caught her before she could hit the ground and guards immediately took The Joker down, cuffing his wrists and ankles. Bruce helped Aniyah up and pulled her close to him as relief filled him. " We're leaving." Bruce said. He glared at The Joker and he smirked back. Bruce lead Aniyah out of the Asylum. _' I just met The Joker.'_ Aniyah thought.

 ****

" What did he say to you?! Did he hurt you?!" Michaela was on speaker phone as Aniyah sat on the couch, running her fingers through her hair. " Nothing happened, he just, let me ask him questions." She shrugged. " Like what?" Bruce asked. " Just, trying to figure out why he did what he did." Aniyah said. " You said you wouldn't do that, Aniyah!" Michaela said. " You honestly think I purposely walked into The Joker's cell?! I wouldn't do that, Michaela! I was fucking terrified!" Aniyah seethed. Bruce sighed as Aniyah sat back on the couch, crossing her arms. " I know. I know, Aniyah. I'm just scared." Michaela sighed. " You're scared? Imagine how I feel." Aniyah huffed. " He told me to come back and visit." She mumbled.

" No way that's happening." Bruce said. " That was pleasant." Aniyah sighed, laying out on the couch. " I'm staying in with Alfred. Forever." She said. " Don't over-react. You know you're lying." Michaela said. " But it is a good idea to stay in for a few days." Bruce said. " I will." Aniyah nodded. " Well, I have writing to do." She got up, grabbed her laptop and jogged off. " Is it too late to make her come back?" Michaela asked. " You should know the answer to that." Bruce picked up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose. " I'm worried about her. I don't think she understand how dangerous how dangerous The Joker is." He said. " And, just how dangerous is he?" Michaela asked. Bruce shook his head. " He's-". " Bruce, random question! Have you possibly, in some way, met Poison Ivy?" Aniyah asked.

Bruce looked at her. " THE DOCTOR LET YOU MEET POISON IVY?!" Michaela shrieked. Aniyah looked at the phone then at Bruce. " Never mind." She quickly walked away. " I'll call you back, Michaela." Bruce hung up and followed Aniyah into the kitchen. " You met Poison Ivy?" He asked. " Yeah. She was nice. In a way. She liked one of my books." Aniyah mumbled, writing in her notebook. Before Bruce could respond, his phone went off. " I have to get to this meeting." He mumbled, looking at his watch. " Have fun." Aniyah said. Bruce rolled his eyes playfully. " This conversation isn't over." He said, leaving.


	5. Chapter 4

**_A Week Later_**

" Aniyah, you didn't have to wake up this early to help me cook." Alfred said as Aniyah passed him the butter. " I know. But I wanted to." Aniyah smiled. It was fun spending the week with you, you had a lot of stories to tell and you know how much I love your stories." She said. " You were always one for adventure." Alfred smiled. " Yeah. Like the time when she climbed that tree and broke her leg when she fell down." Bruce popped his head into the kitchen. " Or the time when she trued to drive her mother's car." Alfred added. " Let's not forget the time in Six Flags when-". " Okay! I think the point is clear!" Aniyah laughed, blushing. Bruce chuckled, fixing his tie. Alfred put three pancakes on a plate as Aniyah poured a cup of orange juice. " I don't see how you can drink this." Aniyah said. " Better than apple juice." Bruce shrugged. " Lies." Aniyah poked her tongue out. " Now sit down so you can eat." She said.

Alfred sat Bruce's food down and he started to eat. " Now, I'm going to redye my hair." Aniyah said before jogging upstairs. She checked her suitcase then the bathroom before groaning. She jogged back downstairs, grabbing her car keys. " I left my dye in the car! Be right back!" She called while running out the door. Aniyah jogged downstairs instead of taking the elevator and walked to her car, unlocking it. She opened the passenger seat and grabbed the bag with the orange dye. She furrowed her eyebrows together, sniffing the air. _' Ew. What did I eat in here?'_ She thought.

Aniyah looked over at her driver seat and screamed, jerking back. She grabbed the car door to keep from falling. " Wh-What the fuck?" Her voice was shaky as she stared at the dead body sitting in her car. He had on a security uniform with a bow on top of his head. Aniyah looked closer at the sticker on his face.

 ** _To: Aniyah  
From: J_**

 _' The Joker.'_ Aniyah thought, biting her lip. She saw a disc sitting in the lap of the dead body. She took the disc. _' Meet Steve'_ was written in red marker. Aniyah put the DVD in her pocket, taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself, before running upstairs. She ran back into the kitchen. " Bruce!" She called. He looked at her and stood up, seeing that she was shaking. " There's a dead body in my car."

 ****

Aniyah sighed, closing her eyes as policemen checked her car. " Didn't think we'd meet again like this." Gordon said. Aniyah glanced at him and chuckled. " Neither did I Commissioner." She said, staring at the dead body as it was taken out of her car. " I heard about your encounter with The Joker already, and by what you told us, he's the only one who could've done this." Gordon explained. " Is it that easy for him to get out of Arkham?" She asked. " He was out of his cell, but he never left the Asylum." Gordon said. Aniyah didn't respond. She was still shaking, and Bruce having to leave didn't help at all. " Either way this is dangerous. He has people out there doing the dirty work for him. We'll make sure this doesn't happen again but I think you should stay in for a few weeks and if you have to go out, take someone with you." He said. Aniyah nodded. " Yeah, I will." She said.

After her car was cleaned up, she sat on the couch with the TV on, hugging a pillow with her eyes closed. She couldn't get the image of that dead man out of her head. " Try to relax, Aniyah." Alfred sat a cup of tea on the table as she looked up at him. " Thanks, Alfred." She smiled. Once Alfred left, Aniyah sighed, grabbing her laptop and earbuds. She turned on the laptop and pulled out the DVD. Once her laptop was on, she put in the DVD and plugged in her earbuds before putting them in her ears.

The first thing to show was information on the video, but it was all scratched out. _' The doctor must have been recording their sessions.'_ Aniyah thought. _' Arkham Asylum'_ was crossed out and titled _' Outside My Cell'_ and that was enough to make Aniyah uneasy. The video started. " We have to be quiet." The Joker said lowly. Aniyah furrowed her eyebrows together as he closed a door. " Because I'm in your office." He snickered, moving forward. _' The doctor's name, shit.'_ Aniyah quickly re-winded the video. " Doctor Quinzel." She mumbled, going back to her current part in the movie. " So this was made for her." She mumbled. " This is your desk." The Joker knocked some papers off the desk. " And your paperwork." He moved on to the shelves in the office. " Awe, there's pictures of the family." He focused the camera on the pictures. " I can't wait to meet them. Got some crazy relatives there. And lovely picture of your wife-" The Joker stopped talking as he picked up the picture. Aniyah raised an eyebrow, watching the video. The Joker dropped the picture and picked up the name tag he threw on the floor. It read _' Dr. Jeremiah Arkham'_. He sighed, dropping the name tag. " I'm the wrong office." He said. " Wow." Aniyah deadpanned as static covered her laptop screen.

" Here we go." The Joker opened another door. He walked inside the office and sat the camera down on the desk before sitting in front of it. " I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing with everything we talked about, and I just had to kill somebody. I plan on sending this to Ani-yah too. You're probably, uh, both at home asleep. Without a care in the world. Kind of like Steve." The Joker said. Aniyah stared at the video. _' Did Dr. Quinzel and Joker talk about me?'_ She thought. The Joker put up a finger, getting up and walking away. Aniyah jumped as he slammed the same dead body that was in her car, on the desk. _' Oh my God.'_ She thought. " This is Steve!" The Joker was in front of the camera again. " Say hi, Steve." He looked at the body and there was a pause before The Joker looked at the camera again. " He's shy. And not big on small talk. You see, Steve was- _ah_ , kind enough to let me out of my cell for the night." He said, licking his lips.

" He won't be making that mistake again." He deadpanned, making Aniyah snort slightly before fixing herself. " He took some convincing. I think he was worried he was gonna lose his job- _ah_. I told him there was no need, to worry about that." The Joker sat back down in the chair behind him. " You see," He rested his feet on the dead body. " Life is, uh, short." He started. " Even shorter for some. You'd be shocked how surprised some people get, when they find out they're not gonna live forever." He said.

The Joker got up, leaning in closer to the camera. " And so, one day, their face is looking back them and it's old, in the mirror, or they they're dying from some, terminal disease- _ah_. Or, that they're stuck working in a mental hospital. Day, after day, after day." The Joker said. " That's why I brought Steve along for the ride. He wanted to see where I was coming from. And Steve can show you, a real dead body, is a lot different from the kind you see in pictures, or television, dear Ani-yah." The Joker said. Aniyah bit her lip nervously, but didn't make a move to turn off the video. " That's why you'll be seeing Steve in person and not just in this video. Of course, what am I saying? You know exactly what I'm talking about. You're a writer- _ah_. Steve is my gift to you, doll. But when you think about Steve, Ani-yah, don't think about me. Think about, mortality- _ah_. Focus on what you like to do no matter how dangerous people say it is. Treat each day like it's your last." He said, staring into the camera. It was like he was staring directly at Aniyah, like she was there, and the thought made her shiver. " Because who knows." The Joker looked at Steve then back at the camera. " It might just be." He got up and put a bow on Steve's head and a sticker on his face.

" And it's been a _week_ , Ms. Bluebell." The Joker looked at the camera again. " Now, either you visit me, or I visit you- _ah_." He said. Aniyah's eyes widened at the statement. " I enjoy your company." He smiled and giggled before taking the body and leaving the office. " Either way, I'll be seeing you soon!" He called.

Aniyah closed her laptop and sighed heavily. She wasn't willing to risk The Joker coming to her, but seeing him herself was just as dangerous. Aniyah's phone rang, making her jump. She picked up her phone and stared at the unknown number, not knowing what to expect. She answered the phone. "...Hello?" She asked. " Aniyah Bluebell?" A woman asked. " Yes, this is she." Aniyah turned down the TV. " This is Dr. Quinzel from Arkham Asylum." She said. "...Yeah, I've heard." Aniyah deadpanned, sarcasm laced in her voice. Dr. Quinzel sighed. " I understand that my patient threatened you. I watched the video also. But in order for me to move forward on his therapy, he has to see you." She explained. " What?" Aniyah raised an eyebrow, tensing slightly. _' This woman is CRAZY! No way in Hell am I seeing him!'_ She thought. " He's refusing to talk to me until he sees you. We're getting nowhere-". " Why is that my problem, Dr. Quinzel?" Aniyah asked, cutting her off. " Ms. Bluebell, I don't think you understand how dangerous Patient 4479 is. If anything, he is a man of his word. If you don't go to him, he _will_ come to you." She said. Aniyah paused and pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. " Fine. Okay. I'll come in. Just, don't call me Ms. Bluebell." She agreed. " Thank you. Our next session is tomorrow afternoon, I will make sure Patient 4479 is restrained." Dr. Quinzel sounded relieved on the phone. " Yeah. I'll see you then." Aniyah hung up. _' I can't believe I'm doing this.'_ She thought.


	6. Chapter 5

" Aniyah, you don't have to do this, you know. You can always pack up and come back to Georgia with me." Aniyah had Michaela on speaker phone as she slipped on her white heels. She glanced at her phone. " I won't object." She turned around to see Bruce standing by the door. " This is dangerous." He said. " I'm not letting this stop my research. That's not going to happen." Aniyah shook her head, grabbing her jacket. " Think about this, Aniyah-". " You not understand. I am **_not_** stopping this book! It's not happening! You both know that writing is my life." Aniyah looked at Bruce as he nodded. " Of course I understand, Aniyah! I'm just worried-". " The Joker is in Arkham! He'll _**stay**_ in Arkham. You don't need to be worried." Aniyah said sternly.

She had been snappy and paranoid since finding the dead body in her car and watching the video that came along with it. " Alright, Blueberry, calm down." Bruce sighed. Aniyah chuckled at the old nickname and shook her head. " I'm sorry guys. I'm just not feeling it today. Finding a dead body in your car really puts you down." Aniyah deadpanned. " Call me after the session. I have to go before my boss catches me." Michaela quickly hung up. " Make sure you're careful." Bruce said as Aniyah picked up her phone. Aniyah nodded, fixing her black skirt. " Can I, take your Chrysler? I'm not ready to drive my car." Aniyah said. Bruce tossed her the car keys. " I had a feeling you would ask." He smirked. " You and that cocky attitude again." She mumbled, walking past him. " When you come back we're going out and this time I'm choosing where we eat!" Bruce called. " Fine!" Aniyah chuckled, leaving.

 ** _~~~~~_**

Aniyah walked into Arkham Asylum and sighed. She wasn't ready to see The Joker after that stunt he pulled. _' Maybe I can act like I never came.'_ She thought, looking around. " Hey." She looked to see the same security guard she argued with last time she was in the Asylum. _' Too late for that now.'_ Aniyah thought, staring up the man with raised eyebrows. " Follow me. Dr. Quinzel is waiting. Could've came earlier." He mumbled the last part, beginning to walk. Aniyah bit her tongue and followed him upstairs. She walked into a room and looked at Dr. Quinzel. " I'm glad you're here." She smiled slightly at Aniyah. " You can go get 4479 now, Lyle." The doctor looked at the guard behind Aniyah. Lyle nodded and left. Aniyah sat down next to Dr. Quinzel. " I'm sorry, about my attitude on the phone last night." She said. " It was expected. You don't need to apologize." Dr. Quinzel nodded. Aniyah tensed up as Lyle came back into the room with The Joker, sitting him in the chair across from her and Dr. Quinzel, the table being the only thing in between them. She felt a bit better and relaxed some, seeing him in a straight-jacket.

The Joker stared at Aniyah before looking at Dr. Quinzel, back at Lyle, then let out a heavy sigh, looking at Dr. Quinzel again. " Is this really necessary?" He droned. " The guard, or the straight-jacket?" Dr. Quinzel asked. " Uh," The Joker glanced up at Lyle again. " Both." He answered. He looked at Aniyah again. " I was hoping to have you and Ani-yah all to myself." He said. " Dr. Quinzel with guest, Aniyah Bluebell overseeing Patient 4479. Security Officer Lyle Bolton is present for this session due to last night's events." Dr. Quinzel said for her camera. " Lyle?" The Joker looked at him again. " That, is a girl's name." He looked at Aniyah. " See, if you and I had a daughter, that's what I'd name her. Lyle." He said. Aniyah shivered and backed up in her chair, refusing to speak. The Joker looked at Lyle then at Aniyah and Dr. Quinzel. "...It was a compliment." He said. " We need to discuss what happened last night." Dr. Quinzel said. The Joker chuckled slightly, looking back at Aniyah. " Did you get your gift?" He asked.

"...What, do you expect me to thank you for the dead body you left in my car?" Aniyah forced herself to talk. " I don't write thank you letters for dead bodies, sadly." She said. " I'm not opposed to letter writing. We could be pen pals." He smirked, leaning in some. " Stay in your seat." Lyle grabbed The Joker's shoulder and yanked him back into his seat. " We are not going to tolerate this kind of behavior." Dr. Quinzel said sternly. " You're right." The Joker looked at Aniyah. " No more dead Steves in your car. I'm sorry- _ah_." He said. " But dead Lyles on the other hand." He looked up at Lyle. " Keep facing forward." Lyle shoved him place again. Aniyah smirked slightly, seeing how agitated The Joker looked.

" Do you have any idea how this is going to affect the DA's decision? This plays right into Fields' hands. I can't help you if you're just going to make things worse for yourself." Dr. Quinzel said. " Funny thing about DAs in this town. They don't last very long." The Joker said. _' DA...DA...District Attorney, okay.'_ Aniyah thought. " Do you have any remorse for killing that man? Any guilt at all?" Dr. Quinzel asked. " Why would I feel that?" The Joker asked. " Then your subconscious is not only repressed it's-". " My subconscious? You don't wanna know what my subconscious thinks up." The Joker cut Dr. Quinzel off, leaning forward. " My waking hours are bad enough." He deadpanned. Lyle shoved him back into his seat. " Last warning before you get put in lock up." He said. Aniyah tapped Dr. Quinzel and looked at her, silently asking permission to ask a question. Dr. Quinzel understood nodding before looking down at her clip board. " Why didn't you try to escape after you got out of your cell?" Aniyah asked The Joker, crossing her legs. The Joker's eyes snapped from his doctor to her, smirking.

" Did you want to see me that much- _ah?_ " He asked. Aniyah didn't respond, crossing her arms as well. The Joker eyed her carefully, scrutinizing her. " You, uh, look lovely this afternoon, Ani-yah. What's the occasion? Going out with Wayne after this?" He licked his lips. " Answer the question." Dr. Quinzel said. The Joker glanced at her. " I'll tell you everything you wanna know. Just as soon as you call off the ape." He seethed, looking back at Lyle. " _I want_ , him gone. I want him gone." The Joker looked at Dr. Quinzel and there was a long pause. " Bolton, can you give us a minute? It's fine." Dr. Quinzel said. A smile slowly formed on The Joker's face as Lyle left, closing the door behind him. He looked at Aniyah again. " I didn't want to escape. I wanted to help you, Ani-yah. This is therapy after all." He raised his eyebrows. " Aniyah isn't the one who needs help." Dr. Quinzel said. " I'm perfectly fine. You need help." Aniyah stated. " Don't say that. Everyone needs help sometimes." The Joker said. " Well it damn sure isn't me. It's you." Aniyah snapped. The Joker giggled, staring at her.

" Why are you still here?" He asked. The question threw Aniyah off. " What?" She asked. " In any relationship, this would be a time, to pack up, change locks, and get out- _ah_. And yet, here you are." The Joker said. " You didn't give me a choice.". " I did. I said you come see me, or I come see you- _ah_." He smirked. " I'm not leaving. I still have a book I'm working on." She said. " In case you haven't noticed, a man's dead because of you." He said. Aniyah's heart dropped. " Do not try to make me-". " Responsible? I think it's cute that we're finishing each other's sentences." He said. " I don't know you. I don't like you! Leave me alone!" Aniyah snapped. " Don't you believe in love at first sight- _ah_?" The Joker asked. Aniyah didn't respond. " Oh, don't be like that, doll. You know, that reminds me of two dreams I had last night." He said. " The first one had you in it. But, obviously, this is not the best time to mention that. The second one, I go bear hunting." He started.

" At the Gotham City Zoo." He nodded. _' Oh my God.'_ Aniyah thought. " I mean where else am I going to find a bear? It wasn't too long before a great big Grizzly, comes into my sights. And I take aim," The Joker lifted his foot onto the table, using it as a gun. " BOOM! I got him right between the eyes." He said, putting his foot down. " I walk over and take out my hunting knife- _ah_. And I gut him. Then, something goes wrong. It's not a bear anymore. It's a man wearing a bear costume. And I'm not in a zoo anymore. I'm in a theme park. There were kids running and screaming everywhere. I figure, why stop now? I strap him to the hood of my car and drive back to the hunting lodge and, I skin him. Like a bear rug, for my fireplace." The Joker finished, smirking as he stared into Aniyah's wide eyes.

" You have beautiful eyes, Ani-yah." He leaned forward, making her scoot back. " Is this a game to you?" Dr. Quinzel asked, gaining The Joker's attention. He seemed slightly startled, like he forgot she was there. " I have risked everything on treating you. I had to fight for these sessions. No one at Arkham thinks they'll be able to change anything. If I fail, they'll just throw you to the next one in line. But where does that leave me?" Dr. Quinzel snapped. Aniyah glanced at her, feeling her frustration. " I'm, uh, sorry to hear that, Doc." His tone of voice was a bit harsh as he stared at her, before looking back at Aniyah. " I'm going to tell you about my first dream, Ani-yah." The Joker licked his lips. " I had you, in my arms- _ah_. Holding you close. It felt so nice, there was no place I'd rather be. Then," The Joker leaned in, watching for a reaction. " You _kissed_ me. It was the last thing I was expecting, but I didn't object." He smirked, watching Aniyah get uncomfortable. " Things started to get heated- _ah_. And guess what you do next, doll?" He chuckled as she gripped her chair tightly.

Before The Joker could continue, the door opened. " We need to get him out of here, now." Lyle said. " What's the problem?" Dr. Quinzel asked. " We found the body of Vernon Fields in the Director's Office. Skinned like some sort of animal. We need to question him." Lyle answered. Aniyah gasped quietly, staring at The Joker. " Me? I've been with them the whole time." Aniyah moved her chair back as The Joker pointed to her and Dr. Quinzel. _' His straight-jacket! How did-He could've-'_ She couldn't think straight. " I guess I sleep walk." The Joker said as the guards grabbed him, struggling to get him out of the room. " Be lucky you weren't here when I dreamed of you, doll! I would've done some **_very_** inappropriate things!" The Joker laughed as he was dragged out of the room. Aniyah closed her eyes and covered her face. " I'm sorry, Aniyah." Dr. Quinzel sighed. " I-It's okay. It's not your fault." Aniyah said.

She got up. " But I have to meet someone." She said. " Of course. I won't bother you again." Dr. Quinzel stood up as well. Aniyah didn't respond. She shook the doctor's hand and left the Asylum before calling Bruce. He answered right away. " Hello?". " Make sure there's scotch when we go out to eat because I'm gonna need it." Aniyah sighed. Bruce chuckled. " I can arrange that. Just come home so we can go." He said. " Okay." Aniyah hung up, getting into her car and driving off.


	7. Chapter 6

" He didn't touch you, did he?" Bruce asked as he drove down the street. " Nope. I'm perfectly fine." Aniyah said. " You're not perfectly fine if you're asking for Scotch." He glanced at her. " Well, I'm decent." She shrugged. " Decent enough to talk about it?" He asked. Aniyah nodded, looking at Bruce. " I didn't think it was, that bad, I mean, it could've been worse. Considering he pretended to be in his straight-jacket the whole time.". " And you said he killed the DA?" Bruce asked. " It couldn't have been anyone else. Bruce, he gives me the creeps." Aniyah shivered. " I could imagine." He mumbled. " He asked me if I believe in love at first sight. I'm worried about that." She continued on. " Love at first sight? Is that what he calls it?" Bruce glanced at Aniyah before looking back at the road.

Bruce zoned Aniyah out as he sighed quietly. Anything that could possibly happen to Aniyah if The Joker broke out of his cell again ran through his head, making him tighten his grip on the steering wheel. " Think about this, Aniyah," Bruce started. " Yeah, what's up?" She looked at him. " If The Joker is serious about his, love at first sight claim, imagine what could happen." He said. " Yes, Mr. Billionaire, make me paranoid." Aniyah deadpanned, sitting back. " More dead bodies would end up in my car." She mumbled. " Think worse than that." Bruce said. " The Joker doesn't do the same thing twice." He mumbled. " If he breaks out of his cell again, he might actually leave the Asylum this time and-" Aniyah bit her lip, cutting herself off. " And come for you." Bruce finished. " I'm not going to force you to do anything. I'm not going to nag you about it either. You know that I care about you and I don't want to see you hurt. So you should really consider leaving while you have the chance." He said. Aniyah nodded, staring at him. " I'll consider it. But, since we've hit the caring part of this subject. How long have we been friends, Bruce?" She asked. " Since we were four." He smiled slightly. " Exactly. And I'll always be here for you. We've been friends for a long time, so you should know by know how I feel about you bottling your emotions." Aniyah sat up in her seat and leaned on the armrest, giving him a stern look. " And honestly, as your best friend, I don't like finding out that Rachel was engaged to Harvey Dent and that The Joker killed her, through research." She said.

" I know you don't." Bruce sighed. " I know it's a touchy topic, but I know you're not okay, Bruce, so next time, come to your best friend for help, or Alfred, because he'll tell me anyway." Aniyah smirked as Bruce chuckled. " How's Mom doing?" He asked, changing the subject. " Mom is fine. She misses you.". " Who wouldn't?". " Bruce. We're going to fight, okay? You and this cocky attitude." Aniyah laughed. " Does she know you're here?" Bruce asked, chuckling. " Eh. No?" Aniyah put on a big smile. " That'll be a conversation I don't want to miss." Bruce mumbled, parking his car. " Hardy har har. Funny." Aniyah rolled her eyes playfully, getting out of the car.

Once Aniyah and Bruce sat down in the restaurant, she sighed, rubbing her arms. " I should've brought a jacket." She mumbled. " Can't say I didn't tell you." Bruce shrugged. Aniyah rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. " Oh, I meant to ask since you pulled me away from my laptop before I could fine out myself," She glared at Bruce. " What happened to Batman?" She asked. Bruce shrugged. " On the news, it says he killed Harvey Dent.". " What? He couldn't have done that." Aniyah shook her head. " And why do you think that?" He asked as a waiter came with a bottle of Scotch and two glasses. " He did act like he was above the law.". " But, the law isn't much help when it comes to criminals like Joker. Or else there wouldn't have been a dead body in my car." She pointed out. " And last time I checked, criminals were terrified of Batman, so whatever he was doing, he was doing it right." She added, pouring Scotch into her glass. Bruce smiled slightly.

" You're defending a vigilante who, one: disappeared, two: is wanted for killing a District Attorney, and three: you've never seen before." He stated. " Honestly, I think Gotham still needs Batman." Aniyah downed her first glass and poured herself some more. " it's, kind of like a comic book. This city is in major need of a hero." She said. Bruce's smile faltered, letting her words sink in. " I mean, me and you grew up in Gotham. This place, as fucked up and corrupted as it is, is still our home. You wouldn't want to see this town burn, would you?" Aniyah raised an eyebrow. " No. No I wouldn't." Bruce said. " And Batman felt the same. He was brave enough to take matters into his own hands. He's a hero in my book." Aniyah downed her second glass. " Let's get you some food before you down the whole bottle." Bruce chuckled. Aniyah smiled and nodded.

 ****

" You can't take one experience and just assume things like that. She's in Arkham for a reason." Bruce said. " Yeah, yeah, I get that! But I feel it. Poison Ivy just has a point to prove-". " And she's proving it by trying to destroy Gotham." Bruce said. "...True." Aniyah chuckled, playing with the leftover food on her plate. " But still, she seemed interesting." She said. " I guess you can say that." Bruce put his fork down and grabbed his napkin to wipe his face. " Do you really think he'll escape again?" Aniyah looked at Bruce as he stared back at her before shrugging. " You shouldn't waste your time thinking about what an unpredictable man might do next." He said. "...So what am I supposed to do? Sit and wait for him to come to me?" Aniyah sighed. " That, or go back with Michaela." He said. They both stared at each other. Aniyah sighed, pouring herself some more Scotch.

" Okay, look. We both know you're too stubborn to leave. So why keep bringing it up? The best thing to do is to keep up on everything. Talk to his doctor. Make sure you're safe." Bruce said. Aniyah nodded. " Okay, I will. But, I'm ready to head home now.". " Too many drinks?". " Shut up and take me home, Mr. Billionaire." Aniyah chuckled, getting up. " As you wish, Lady Blueberry.". " You know I hate that, Bruce, stop!" She snorted. " But you laughed, so I don't really think you hate it." Bruce chuckled as they left the restaurant.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Three Weeks Later**_

" I'm not saying you should stop recording your sessions, but, maybe try getting a different camera?" Aniyah sipped her tea, sitting down on the couch. " Yes. That could work. It's just-". " A lot. I know, Harleen." Aniyah put her mug down. " Enough about me and my problems." Harleen chuckled before sighing. " How's your book coming along?" She asked. " Well, so far it's about a girl named Destiny Mickens, a young woman in investigative journalism." Aniyah said. " Interesting enough. Did you plan on making up the city she's in?" Harleen asked. " Most likely, but of course it'll be similar to Gotham. I kind of have a plot line in my head, but that's a surprise." Aniyah said. " Well I can't wait to read it." She chuckled. " Do you, think you could meet me at Barnes & Noble's in an hour?" She asked. Aniyah stood up. " Yup, I'll meet you there." She said. " Okay." Harleen hung up.

Aniyah ran upstairs and grabbed her jacket. " Hey Alfred!" She called, jogging back downstairs. " I'm going to the bookstore for a bit. I should be back soon." She said, looking around. " Be careful while you're out!" He called from the back room. " I will!" Aniyah grabbed the car keys to the Chrysler and left.

 ****

" Hey Harleen." Aniyah tapped her as she put her car keys away. Harleen turned around with two cups of coffee. " Thank you!" Aniyah let out a small cheer, taking a cup. " So what was so important that you wanted to talk in person?" She asked, sitting down at a table. " It's nothing serious," Harleen sat down as well, looking through her purse. " I just wanted to invite you to something." She handed Aniyah an envelope. Aniyah opened the envelope and smiled brightly. " A wedding?! I've never been to one!". " Then I'm sure you'd love to come." Harleen smiled. " Of course! Oh my gosh, I need a dress." Aniyah put away the invitation. " You don't have to dress up. It's a simple wedding-". " And it's tonight. At 10:00. Any reason why you waited so long?" Aniyah raised an eyebrow. " You still have time to get ready, and I wasn't sure if you would agree or not considering how long we've been talking and how we met." Harleen explained. " Hey, he has nothing to do with your life, Harleen, at least not this part of it. And I already consider us friends. There's no need to be nervous." Aniyah sipped her coffee. " That's good to hear." Harleen smiled slightly. " But, I still have a lot to do, including getting ready, so, I'll see you at the wedding." She stood up. " Have fun!" Aniyah called as Harleen left. Aniyah pulled out her phone and called Bruce. " Hello?". " Hey Mr. Billionaire, small favor." She smiled as he sighed.

 ****

" If you like the mint green one, why don't you just buy it?" Bruce asked. " The white one looks cute too." Aniyah pouted. " If you were here to see it you'd understand." She said as Michaela sighed. " You're just being difficult, Aniyah." She said. " No I'm not! I really can't choose." Aniyah said. " Take a picture of both of them and send them to me." Michaela huffed. Aniyah took a picture of the mint green dress, then the white dress before sending them both to Michaela and putting the phone back to her ear. This is Harleen's fault for giving me that last minute invitation." She chuckled. " Go for the white dress and wear some mint green heels." Michaela said. " Okay." Aniyah grabbed the dress and paid for it before leaving the store. " Am I the only one who's a bit unsure about this?" Michaela asked as Aniyah got into the car. " No." Her and Bruce responded. " But I'm not letting this whole situation control my life. It's just a wedding. I'll be in and out." Aniyah said, driving off. " Just be careful." Michaela sighed. " I will, I promise. And I'll talk to both of you later." Aniyah said. " Alright." Bruce said. " Bye." Michaela said. Aniyah hung up the phone and drove back home.

By the time Aniyah was done with her make-up and her bright orange hair was curled, it was already 7:00. She quickly put a notepad and pen into her purse and grabbed her phone and car keys. " Bye, Alfred!" She called as she left. Once she was in the car, she felt her phone vibrate. " This better not be Harleen rushing me." Aniyah looked at her phone to see that she got an email titled **_Watch Me_**. Her stomach dropped and she quickly put her phone down. _' Why tonight? Out of all nights, tonight.'_ She thought. Aniyah swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced at her phone. She knew it was The Joker, but if she didn't watch the video, she'd be left in the dark on what could possibly happen next. She picked up her phone and hesitantly pressed play. " Shit." As The Joker sat down in front of the camera, she realized that he didn't have his jumper on. There was a long pause as he stared at the camera. " How 'bout a magic trick?" He grabbed a deck of cards and glanced at the other person in the room. " Here, come here." He spread out the cards. " Pick a card, any card." A man grabbed a card from the deck and The Joker began to shuffle the rest of the deck.

" You know, if you, uh, shuffle a deck of cards seven times, it becomes completely random." He said. " Takes a lot of work to get things random. Kind of like life." He said. Aniyah checked the time before looking back at the video. " You see, life is all about the way we play the cards we've been dealt. There's no bad hands, no. only bad players. And some people use cards to tell the future." The Joker shook his head. " It doesn't work like that. That's just too, predictable- _ah_. Besides, where's the fun if you know what's gonna happen next? It always comes down to making choice. One or the other. It's the fork in the throat-no, no, fork in the road. Henry's the one with the fork in the throat."

" Of course, I should've saw that coming." Aniyah mumbled, shivering. The Joker left the camera and came back with a fork that was covered in blood. " See, uh, Henry's a perfect example cause, uh, you think he saw this, in the cards? No. It's not about, finding out which card is yours. It's about finding out which card you're not- _ah._ " The Joker put the fork down and picked up the deck of cards again. " Flipping all the cards on the table, and see where you stack up- _ah_. Because every card has a meaning." The Joker pulled out a card and showed it to the camera. " Hearts are for emotion. Spades are for intellect. Diamonds show wealth. And Clubs, well, that's to signify power. Or for hitting people." He moved the cards he just listed out of the way. " So are you the, uh, rich, Bruce Wayne type?" He pulled out a King of Diamonds. "...No, no. Maybe you're the Harvey Dent type." He pulled out a King of Clubs. " Yeah, I didn't think so." He ripped the card in half and threw it. " Obviously, you aren't a, Ani-yah Bluebell." He smirked, holding up a Queen of Hearts before throwing it. " Maybe, you're the Batman." Aniyah clenched her jaw as he held up a King of Spades. " No? Commissioner?" He held up a Joker of Spades before throwing that card as well.

" How 'bout, uh, the Mayor?" Maybe a doctor like, uh, Hugo Strange, Harleen Quinzel, or Jeremiah Arkham. Plus, those are face cards. You have to earn the right to be a face card." The Joker smirked. " Then you have your Lyles, your Steves, and your Bobs and Joes. The butcher, the baker, the dynamite stick maker." The Joker threw all the cards at the camera. " The undefined masses. So which one are you? What's it gonna take, to separate you, from all the others? To make you stand out, before you fade away with the rest of the numbers." Aniyah furrowed her eyebrows together as The Joker flipped the table, causing the camera to fall. He fixed the camera and sighed. " There's only one card that makes a difference and it doesn't add or take away from the others- _ah_." He showed a Joker card to the camera. " There's only one in every deck, and it always shows up when you least expect it- _ah_. If you ask me, we need more wild cards in the deck." He chuckled. _' When you least expect it.'_ Aniyah thought, shaking her head. She turned off the video and got out of the car, calling Harleen while walking back towards the penthouse.

" Hello?". " Hey Harleen, I just called to tell you that I-" Aniyah froze feeling a cold object against her neck. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw as a clad purple arm wrapped around her waist. "...That I might be a bit late, but I'm still on my way." She said. " That's fine! I hope you make it!" Harleen said. " I will! Bye!" Aniyah smiled and hung up. " Very smart, doll." The Joker pulled the gun away from her neck and wrapped his other arm around her as well. " And, I prefer your Ford over Mr. Billionaire's Chrysler." He said. Aniyah didn't respond, taking a deep breath. " Don't be nervous, Ani-yah. I won't hurt you. I'm just here to take you on our first date- _ah_." The Joker grabbed her arm and began to walk down the street. " Oh, and don't mind the extra people tagging along. You'll still have a good time, trust me." He chuckled.


	9. Chapter 8

_' Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.'_ Aniyah thought repeatedly, gripping her purse tightly. _' I still have the car keys, maybe I can make a run for it.'_ She glanced back at the Chrysler then at The Joker's gun. _' I won't make it.'_ Aniyah tried to play through every scenario, something she could do to try and escape, but they either didn't work or resulted in death. She cursed one last time, looking down at the ground. " Oh. Great." Aniyah looked over at the man in the car. "...Dr. Arkham?" She furrowed her eyebrows together. " Ladies first." The Joker opened the car door. Aniyah glanced at him and hesitantly climbed into the car. " Now we can go pick up Lyle." He sat next to Aniyah and put his gun away. Aniyah jumped slightly hearing someone bang on the trunk along with faint screams. _' Oh my God.'_ She thought, closing her eyes. _' Aniyah, don't freak out now. It won't end well if you freak out now.'_ She thought, trying to calm down. " Why so quiet, doll?" Aniyah's eyes snapped open, realizing how close The Joker was. " No reason." She slowly moved over. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back. Aniyah's breath got caught in her throat as she tried to pry his hands off. " Isn't there a rule with writers- _ah_? If something like this happens, you have to, uh, live to write about it?" The Joker asked. Aniyah stopped moving. "...I'm going to take that as a threat and not a question." She said. The Joker laughed, making her flinch back. " Good." he said.

Aniyah shifted slightly. " Where are we going?" She asked. " Well, after we pick up Lyle, we're going to dinner- _ah_." The Joker said. " Where?" She glanced at him. " That's a surprise, doll. I don't like ruining surprises." He grabbed a strand of her hair, twirling it around his gloved finger. " You, ever try dying your hair red? Red would look nice on you." He made Aniyah look at him. " It could match that fierce look in your eyes, way better than orange can." He said. " I thought about it. I just like orange better." Aniyah responded, staring up at him as he licked his lips. " What color was your hair before?". " What color was _**your**_ hair before?" Aniyah repeated the question. The Joker chuckled. " We're here." Dr. Arkham glanced back at the two. " great! Let's go. Grab the camera." The Joker grabbed Aniyah and got out of the car. " He lives in a apartment building. How cute- _ah_." He giggled, going upstairs. Aniyah slowly took a step back as he broke into Lyle's apartment. The Joker glanced at her, making her freeze. He took his jacket off and put it around her shoulders. " Hold this for me." He took off his gloves and and put them in the pockets of the jacket. Aniyah stayed behind Dr. Arkham as they walked into the apartment to see what was happening through the camera's night vision. _' Why does he want to record all of this?'_ She thought.

She flinched slightly at Lyle's loud snoring as they got closer to his room. " We have to be quiet." The Joker whispered, getting closer. " Lyle's sleeping." he giggled, moving towards Lyle's bed. " Please don't kill Lyle." Dr. Arkham said as The Joker picked up a bat. He slowly aimed the bat at Lyle's head, preparing to hit him. " Don't-Do not do that." The Joker glanced back at Dr. Arkham and sighed. Aniyah quietly took a step back, glancing at the door. She took off her heels and carefully left the apartment. She quickly ran downstairs and out of the apartment building. _' The trunk.'_ Aniyah ran to the car and frantically searched for the hatch to pop the trunk. Once she finally got the trunk open, she ran to lift it open. Her panicked auburn eyes met frantic dark brown eyes of a nurse. " Come on, hurry up!" Aniyah helped the woman out of the trunk. " Thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman gasped, grabbing her arms. " You're welcome." Aniyah grabbed her arms as well. " You need to run before he comes back." She said. The woman quickly nodded and Aniyah took off into an alleyway, running as fast as she could. _' The jacket! Check his jacket!'_ Aniyah dropped her heels and checked the pockets of The Joker's jacket, pulling out a switchblade. _' I have no idea where I am.'_ She frantically looked around, trying to look for something familiar, coming to stop.

" Hello, beautiful." Aniyah tensed, hearing The Joker's voice. " Where'd you get that lovely jacket?" He chuckled. Aniyah was about to make a run for it. " Don't," She yelped slightly and gripped the switchblade tightly as he shot the trash can next to her. " Move- _ah_." He seethed, walking towards her. " I guess I'll have to, uh, keep a tighter leash on you." He said as Aniyah turned to face him, hiding the switchblade behind her back. The Joker glanced at her arm then back at her. He charged and wrapped a hand around her neck, slamming her against the brick wall. Aniyah grunted slightly as he snatched the switchblade away from her. " Let me go!" She seethed, trying to hit him. " I don't think you understand, Ani-yah." The Joker chuckled. He let go of her neck and grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head. " You, uh, curiosity got you into this mess- _ah_." He pushed his switchblade against her mouth, almost cutting the skin. " There's no turning back now. Trust me, doll. Me and you?" The Joker leaned in closer. " We'll watch this town burn together. We'll be laughing. To-geth-er." He smirked. Aniyah managed to turn her head away, closing her eyes. He chuckled. " Let's get you back with the others- _ah_." He pulled at Aniyah's wrists, tanking her forward. The Joker picked up Aniyah's heels. " We can't have you at dinner barefoot." He said.

The Joker dragged Aniyah back to the car. " Oh and, congratulations. You just earned yourself a ride in the trunk." He said. " NO!" Aniyah started to struggle again. " Oh calm down." He made his grip tighter. She managed to elbow him in the stomach, but he grabbed her by her hair before she could get anywhere. The Joker slammed her against the car. Aniyah hissed out in pain as she tried to think of another plan. _' Scream.'_ As soon as she opened her mouth, The Joker covered it tightly. " Screaming his a bit cliche, don't you think? Try to be more, creative- _ah_." The Joker snarled. Aniyah closed her eyes and bit her lip. " Now, if you know what's good for you, Ani-yah, you would listen." He seethed, gripping her neck tightly. He lifted her up and shoved her into the trunk, throwing her heels in as well. Aniyah screamed, banging on the trunk. " You can come out when you've learned your lesson- _ah_." The Joker banged on the trunk, making her stop. " Shit." She whispered, covering her face.

 ****

 _' What am I supposed to do?'_ Aniyah thought. She didn't know how long she was in her trunk, but she heard her cellphone ringing the entire time. She moved her hands from her face as the trunk opened. The Joker pulled her out of the trunk. " Alright, Pearl. Back in the trunk." He said. _' Shit. She didn't get away either.'_ Aniyah thought as he shoved the nurse into the trunk and grabbed her heels. " Are you going to listen, doll?" The Joker glanced at Aniyah, closing the trunk. She nodded, putting her heels on. " I know a way you can prove it- _ah_." He grabbed Aniyah's cellphone and handed it to her. Aniyah looked at her phone and her heart clenched. 36 missed calls from Bruce. " Block Mr. Billionaire." The Joker said. " B-Block? But-". " Do it- _ah_." He put the phone in her hand. Aniyah glanced up him and sighed, blocking Bruce's number. " Good." He took the phone back, staring at her. " You look very nice in my jacket. Too bad I need it back." The Joker took his jacket off of her and put it on. " Ready for dinner?" He linked arms with Aniyah and began to walk. " No." She mumbled, now on the porch. She felt Lyle glaring at her, and she returned the favor before snorting, realizing he was only in his boxers. " You know, you'd make a great patient, Doc. Orange is definitely your color." The Joker said. Aniyah saw that Dr. Arkham was wearing The Joker's jumper. " Now. When she opens the door, we're all gonna say it, right?" He asked. Aniyah raised an eyebrow. " I'm not doing that. It's not even Halloween." Lyle said, fixing the camera and rolling his eyes. _' He wants them to say trick or treat?'_ Aniyah thought, glancing at Lyle. The Joker glanced at him. " Spoil sport. Don't worry. We'll get you a costume soon enough." He smirked before looking at Dr. Arkham. " Ready?" he rung the doorbell and stood away from the door. Aniyah glanced back at the road making The Joker grab her arm and yank her towards him. " Don't expect to, uh, run away again, doll." He rung the doorbell again. Soon enough, the front door opened, revealing Mrs. Arkham. She looked at her husband and paused. " Honey, what's going on?" She glanced at Lyle with the camera. " Please, just go inside." Dr. Arkham said. Mrs. Arkham furrowed her eyebrows together. " What?". " Go inside. Now." Dr. Arkham repeated. " Why? What is happening?" Mrs. Arkham asked. The Joker rolled his eyes. " Trick or treat!" He slammed Mrs. Arkham's head against the door frame, causing her to fall. Dr. Arkham stepped forward. " STOP IT! WHAT ARE YOU-". " Ah, ah, ah." The Joker pointed his gun to Dr. Arkham. He bent down to Mrs. Arkham and pulled out a picture, holding it next to her face.

" Please. Don't hurt her." Dr. Arkham pleaded. Aniyah realized that the picture The Joker was holding was a picture of Mrs. Arkham, he was holding it as if to see if the picture was a match. " We found her!" He laughed. " Don't kill her." Aniyah blurted out, gaining his attention. " Don't!" Dr. Arkham yelled. " Don't worry. We're gonna have a nice dinner. Just the four of us." The Joker started to drag Mrs. Arkham by her hair. " You have no idea how long I've wanted to meet you." He said to her as he laughed. " Let her go!" Dr. Arkham yelled, following him. _' I should've left when I had the chance.'_ Aniyah thought. She ran for the front door, but The Joker grabbed her. " You're such a handful, doll." He dragged Aniyah into the back room as she struggled. " The night isn't over. I still have plenty of surprises for you." The Joker laughed.


	10. Chapter 9

_' What else does he have planned?'_ Aniyah thought, struggling a bit in the chair she was duct taped to. _' Did he even plan this? What is he trying to prove this time?'_ She glanced at Mrs. Arkham who stared back at Aniyah with frantic, terrified eyes. Aniyah looked around and glanced at The Joker's jacket. _' Grab the switchblade and cut the tape.'_ She started to move her chair towards the jacket. " Don't do anything stupid." Dr. Arkham said. " I'd rather not sit here and wait for what he does next." She snapped, glancing at him. " So you'd rather test his patience instead?". " Look we don't know what's going to happen here. If we sit here and wait, one of us might die. If I manage to escape, I might die. Either way, someone is going to die, you can play out every scenario any way you want." Aniyah said. " You're basing this on a 'might'?" Dr. Arkham asked. " Might, won't will, what does it matter, he's unpredictable! Even a doctor as good as you couldn't see this coming." She said, referring to their current predicament. " I see why the clown likes you. You're crazy too." Lyle mumbled. " There are no sane writers. Unlike you, we're open minded." Aniyah shot back. " I didn't **_willingly_** get duct taped to this chair." She added. " What is he even doing in there?" Dr. Arkham looked over towards the kitchen as Aniyah still worked on getting the switchblade. " Who knows. I don't want to wait and find out." She managed to free her dominant hand. Aniyah made it to The Joker's jacket and dug in his pocket for the switchblade. She felt the handle and grabbed onto it, her hope rising.

" Hand out of the pocket, Ani-yah." The Joker finally came out of the kitchen making Aniyah curse under her breath. She looked at him then quickly looked away as he slammed a dead body onto the dining room table. The Joker glanced at Aniyah and walked over to her, gripping her wrist tightly. " Let it go- _ah_." He ordered. Aniyah hesitantly let go of the switchblade and pulled her hand out of the pocket. " Now just sit here and be good, doll." The Joker moved Aniyah's chair the the other side of the dimly lit dining room and put duct tape over her mouth. " Hm." He eyed her before burying into her neck, earning a muffled yelp from her as he inhaled deeply. " You smell nice." The Joker chuckled, feeling Aniyah's pulse begin to race before pulling away. " Lyle. You have the most important job." He got up and walked over to Dr. Arkham, putting tape over his mouth as well. " You get to record." He said. " Why do you want to record all of this?" Lyle asked. " Oh, no reason. Start recording." The Joker ordered. Lyle rolled his eyes and turned the camera on. " Good. You're doing fine Lyle. Just keep your hands on the camera, and don't try anything. Or I'm going to cut one of them." The Joker smirked at Aniyah as she glared back. " I'll cut her." He looked at Mrs. Arkham. " Excuse me, Larry." He pushed the dead body off of the table. " Bonjour, belle." He nodded at Aniyah. " Bonjour, madame. Bonjour, monsiour." He nodded at Mrs. Arkham, then Dr. Arkham. " Welcome to Cafe de Arkham. As you can see, I'll be preparing dinner tonight, since I've given your chef the night off." The Joker looked at Dr. Arkham. " Do you know what you would like to order?" He took the tape off of Dr. Arkham's mouth. Aniyah looked at Mrs. Arkham, signalling her to try and calm down. She's been letting out muffled screams and cries the entire time and it's only making things more entertaining for The Joker.

" How 'bout you?" The Joker bent down next to Mrs. Arkham as she got louder. " What?" He leaned in closer as she kept letting out muffled screams. " Hm. I don't think we serve that here. No, no. We don't." The Joker got up and lifted Aniyah's head up. " What about you, Ani-yah?" He asked. Aniyah glared at him before moving her head away. " Oh, don't be like that, doll." He gripped her face tightly, turning her head back. " I know this isn't a perfect date. You only deserve the best, but it's not over yet-ah." He said, moving some hair from her face. " Plus, that's what second dates are for." He smiled before letting her go. " How 'bout I just bring everyone the special?" The Joker walked into the kitchen. Aniyah and Dr. Arkham glanced at each other. Dr. Arkham's eyes flickered down to her side of the table and her eyes quickly followed, seeing a kitchen knife in front of her. " I hope everyone here likes rabbit." The Joker sat a tray on the table and lifted the cover, showing a purple stuffed rabbit with a red painted smile. He picked up a knife and began to sharpen it, glancing at Mrs. Arkham. " This look sharp to you?" He held the knife close to her face as she pulled away, whimpering. " Stop it." Dr. Arkham glared at The Joker, gaining his attention. He glanced at Dr. Arkham and continued to sharpen the knife, this time closer to Mrs. Arkham. She whimpered loudly, leaning her head back to try and get away from the knife. The Joker stopped sharpening the knife, staring at her. " Are you being chicken?" He asked. Mrs. Arkham shook her head. " Well it looks like chicken to me. Chicken's not on the menu." The Joker put the knife down. " If you want to act like a chicken, you get to be a chicken." He grabbed a chicken mask and put it on Mrs. Arkham's face. _' You can't be loud. Don't be loud.'_ Aniyah moved her chair forward, but stopped when The Joker glanced at her. " And we'll say goodbye to rabbit. All yours, Larry." He knocked the rabbit off of the table and knelt down between Dr. Arkham and Mrs. Arkham. " For you, Doc. I made your favorite." The Joker lifted the cover of the tray revealing a basket of eggs. " Eggs." He looked at Mrs. Arkham then back at the eggs. " This begs the question, which died first?" The Joker pointed at Mrs. Arkham. " The, uh, the chicken, or the egg- _ah_?" He looked back at Dr. Arkham. " And that question will keep you up all night, to the point where you wanna, poke out your own eyes." The Joker chuckled.

" Look, whatever you're gonna do to me, just, get it over with, okay?" Dr. Arkham said quickly. _' Come on, Aniyah. Grab the knife.'_ She moved her chair closer, staring at Dr. Arkham and The Joker. " Just let my wife go. Leave her alone.". " It's always about your wife, isn't it? ' Stay out of my office, give me back the picture of my wife.' Me, me, me, me." The Joker said. " I just want to make sure she's safe." Dr. Arkham said. The Joker looked at Mrs. Arkham, then back at Dr. Arkham. " You really love her. Let's put that to the test, huh?" He asked. " No, no, no, no!" Mrs. Arkham muffled, shaking her head. " Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes!" The Joker stood up and grabbed an egg. " Here, try an egg." He stuffed the egg into Dr. Arkham's mouth then taped it shut. " Now don't talk with your mouth full. Bad manners. And, always start with the fork farthest from you." The Joker put the fork in Dr. Arkham's hand then put tape around his hand to make sure he wouldn't drop it. Aniyah finally got a hold of the knife in front of her and grabbed it before hiding it. " Which comes first, Doc? Your chicken, or your eggs? Oh, and by eggs, I mean you eyes- _ah_." The Joker said. Aniyah's eyes widened slightly. " I want you, to put all your eggs in the basket." The Joker pushed Dr. Arkham's hands up, trying to get him to poke his eyes out. " You can't do it? No?" The Joker giggled before standing up. " Maybe you need a little push, huh?" He tried to force Dr. Arkham's head down, but it didn't work. " Well, I tried. I guess it's chicken." The Joker picked picked up a knife and held it to Mrs. Arkham's throat. Dr. Arkham and Mrs. Arkham both let out muffled screams as Aniyah stared wide eyed. " Sh, sh, sh. Fine, fine, fine!" The Joker put the knife down and took the chicken mask off of Mrs. Arkham.

" You people are impossible!" He said as both Dr. and Mrs. Arkham tried to calm down. " Even though you ruined dinner, you ruined it. I'm gonna be, a nice guy for a change." The Joker looked at Dr. Arkham. " Now, if you promise to do everything I tell you, and I mean everything. I'll let you see your wife again. Just like a good, healthy marriage, it's gotta be based on trust. Can I trust you?" He asked. Dr. Arkham nodded. " Alright, have a bachelor party to get to." The Joker cut the tape off of Dr. Arkham and he immediately hugged his wife. " I'll have him back by midnight, okay?" The Joker asked Mrs. Arkham, smirking. " Because if I don't," He took the cover off of the tray in front of Mrs. Arkham, revealing a bomb. Aniyah let out a muffled scream and her chair fell backwards. She groaned slightly as she hit the floor. The Joker pulled Dr. Arkham away from his wife as he let out muffled screams. " Stay put, Ani-yah!" The Joker called, dragging Dr. Arkham out of the house. _' Like Hell I will.'_ Aniyah thought, beginning to cut the tape on her arms with the knife. She closed her arms tightly as her arms began to cramp up. Once she got the tape off of her arms, relief went through her. " You're gonna have to move faster than that, doll." The Joker bent down in front of her. _' Fuck.'_ She thought as he took the knife from her before standing her up. " Now, the longer we wait here, the shorter time we have to get back to Mrs. Arkham." The Joker took the tape off of Aniyah's mouth. She looked at Mrs. Arkham as she cried, letting out muffled screams. " I hope you're taking notes, doll." The Joker chuckled, taking Aniyah out to the car. She glanced at Pearl, who sat in the driver's seat, nervously gripping the steering wheel. " Sit in the middle." The Joker said. Aniyah glanced at him, but got in the car.

" I'm ready to come out now." Dr. Arkham said from the trunk. The Joker opened the trunk. " Are you gonna behave?" He asked. "..Yes." Dr. Arkham answered. " Good. You've wasted enough of our time screaming in there. You're sitting in the back." The Joker said. " Typical." Dr. Arkham mumbled, sitting next to Aniyah while holding the camera. " Y'know, it's hard to fine good help these days. That's why the staff was so generous." The Joker got into the car. " You okay, Pearl?" Dr. Arkham asked. " Oh, she's fine." Pearl's gonna be our designated driver. Aren't you Pearl?" The Joker held his gun towards her and she quickly started the car. He looked back at Dr. Arkham. " You're gonna be our designated camera man." He grabbed a cup and began to drink from it. " Great." Dr. Arkham said. The Joker threw the cup out of the car as Pearl drove off. " What about me?" Aniyah and Dr. Arkham looked at Lyle and paused. " You? You just get to sit there and look pretty." The Joker said. "...Is that my wife's dress?" Dr. Arkham asked. _' Should I even be surprised?'_ Aniyah thought. " Yeah, it looks better on Lyle. I need you to sign this." The Joker handed Dr. Arkham a clipboard with a paper on it. " What is this?" He asked. " It's just a way to avoid any legal problems." The Joker said. _' Wow.'_ Aniyah thought. " That is, never gonna hold up in court." Dr. Arkham said as he signed the paper. " I don't know," The Joker took the clipboard back. " I've got a pretty good lawyer." He said. " U-Um, where am I going?" Pearl asked. The Joker hit the back of her head with the clipboard, making Aniyah yelp and scoot back in the seat as the car swerved. " Nurses- _ah_ , are to be seen, but never heard." He grabbed Pearl's face and pulled out his switchblade. " If I hear you one more time, you're not gonna see anything." He held the blade to her eyes. " Don't touch her! Get your hands off her!" Lyle yelled.

" Don't worry, Lyle. No one important's getting hurt. Least of all, you. You have a very important role to play." The Joker signaled for Pearl to drive. " Just keep going straight." He said to her before turning to Lyle again. " Get your foot up here.". " What?" Lyle asked. " Your foot, ape. The things at the ends of your legs." The Joker said. Aniyah smirked slightly as Lyle put his foot on the arm rest. _' Heels too?'_ She thought as he put a tracking bracelet on Lyle's ankle. " It's a perfect fit, Cinderella. Time to get you to your glamorous ball." The Joker said. _' This can't be good.'_

 ** _~~~~~~_**

" This is embarrassing." Lyle grumbled. " Embarrassing? Don't be embarrassed." The Joker said, heading towards the opening to the sewers. " I thought you said this would be glamorous." Lyle sighed. " It will be. Once you get to the ball. Through the sewers." The Joker said. " Why don't you send your little girlfriend?" Lyle glanced at Aniyah. " I'm not-". " Oh, she stays with me. This is our date after all." The Joker pulled Aniyah close to him. " I'm not going in there." Lyle said. " Well, you can come with us. But at midnight, you'll turn into a pumpkin. You know what we do to pumpkins, don't you? We carve them- _ah_." The Joker said. "Alright then." Lyle rolled his eyes. " It smells out here." Dr. Arkham said as The Joker let go of Aniyah. " Then you can imagine how Lyle's gonna smell." He said as Lyle went into the sewer and began to walk. " Just keep walking until you get to the other side. And watch out for crocs!" The Joker quickly closed the gate and locked it. " Is there, really a way out, or, did you just say that?" Aniyah asked. " Beats me." The Joker shrugged. " Come on, back to the car." He said, walking off.

 ** _~~~~~_**

Aniyah kept her eyes shut during the ride. She was honestly hoping that this was just a dream and that she's going to wake up in Bruce's room to a cup of tea Alfred made for her. But she could hear Pearl, Dr. Arkham and The Joker. It wasn't a dream, but she refused to open her eyes, even when the car stopped. " Get up, doll. You're coming with me." The Joker pulled Aniyah out of the car and took the keys out of the ignition. Aniyah eyed the container of gasoline in his hand before realizing that Pearl and Dr. Arkham were handcuffed in the car. " Uh, you two, you two stay here." The Joker said. " Help! Help us! Help!" Pearl yelled, pulling at the cuffs. " Can anyone hear us?! Help!" Aniyah yelled as well. " Help! Help! Somebody help them!" The Joker yelled before laughing. " Welcome to The Narrows. No one's coming to save you." He said before beginning to walk, pushing Aniyah in front of him. " What are you about to do?" Aniyah stumbled slightly, going up the stairs on the back of the building. " You'll see, doll." The Joker said.


	11. Chapter 10

" Who's Kopski?" Aniyah eyed the camera on the table as The Joker typed on the computer. " Kopski is the groom's brother and best man." He answered. After looking around the apartment, Aniyah stepped a bit closer to see what The Joker was typing. _' A suicide note?'_ She thought. " You're gonna make it look like he killed himself?". " He will kill himself." The Joker glanced at Aniyah. " Why did you bring me up here? Why not handcuff me with Pearl and Dr. Arkham?" Aniyah asked. " I like having you around, doll. This isn't a date if I just handcuff you to a car and leave you there." He printed out the paper and sharpened a pencil. " And, I'm helping your writing experience. You can't write about things like this is you've never witnessed it-ah." He added. " But who said I wanted to write about things like-" The Joker covered Aniyah's mouth as the front door opened. " Don't move, doll. If you run, you won't like the, uh, punishment- _ah_." He picked up the camera walking towards the back of the apartment. After a few minutes, Aniyah heard Kopski scream and a loud thump. She looked around before slowly making her way to the back of the apartment, looking around as she did. She peeked into the bathroom, watching The Joker duct tape Kopski. He glanced back, staring at her. " You're not a very good listener, are you- _ah_?" He stood up, making Aniyah take a step back. " S-Sorry." She mumbled, quickly looking down. The Joker wrapped his arms around Aniyah's waist, pulling her to him. " The big surprise is coming up, doll. You ready?" He asked. " No." She shook her head. " I-I don't want to see anyone else get hurt." She refused to look up. The Joker chuckled, lifting her head up. " You should've stayed in Georgia if you didn't want anyone to get hurt- _ah_." He said. Aniyah's eyes widened. " How did you know I came from-". " I'm going to loosen your leash a little. Don't make me regret it." He warned. " What? But-". " Ani-yah. Listen- _ah_." The Joker said. " O-Okay." She answered quickly.

" I already duct taped Kopski. I need you to start running water into the tub." The Joker said. "...Okay." Aniyah immediately started the water. " Stay in here. I won't be long." The Joker left the bathroom. Aniyah watched the tub fill up with water before looking at Kopski and sighing. " How do I look?" The Joker came back with Kopski's tuxedo on. Aniyah raised an eyebrow. "...Dashing." She mumbled, rolling her eyes. " You're too kind- _ah_." He smirked. " Now. I want you to stand there and look pretty, doll. I want you to pay attention." He said. Aniyah moved away from the tub, the water still running. " What makes you think I'll actually write about this?" Aniyah asked. " Oh no. I don't think you'll write about this exactly. But you and I both know that you won't let this experience go to waste. The thrill, the fear- _ah_. you can force yourself to ignore it." The Joker said. Aniyah glanced back, hearing Kopski's cellphone begin to ring. " Besides," The Joker grabbed Aniyah's hand and twirled her around before dipping her. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. " Who doesn't enjoy a good love story?" He giggled, leaning in closer. He stood Aniyah up and grabbed the camera, closing the bathroom door. " Remember, stay put." The Joker turned on the camera.

Aniyah could still hear Kopski's phone ringing. " You, are a popular guy." The Joker mumbled, turning the water off. " Wakey, wakey." He pushed Kopski down into the water, waking him up. " Now are you gonna stop acting like a child and take your bath?" The joker asked, pulling Kopski out of the water. As soon as Kopski got a good look at The Joker, he began to scream, resulting in The Joker pushing his head back into the water again, this time longer. " You don't have to kill him! Stop!" Aniyah yelled. The Joker glanced at her. " Just keep quiet and watch, doll." He focused on Kopski again, pulling him out of the water. " You look tired." He started, covering Kopski's mouth. " Tired of it all. I can sympathize. These days, it's hard to get by. Hard to keep your head above life's rippling waters." The Joker pushed Kopski's head back underwater again. " Times are tough for a guy like you." After holding Kopski's head down longer than before, The Joker finally let his head up. " I completely understand why you want to end your life." He said. Kopski glanced at Aniyah then back at the camera, eyes full of confusion. " I don't want to end my life." He said. " You know what?" The Joker pushed Kopski's head back into the water. " I'm tired of being selfish. I'm gonna help you do it. I'm good at this kind of thing. It's what I do best. But the real question is, how do ya do you? Because we don't want you to suffer." The Joker giggled, letting Kopski's head back up.

Aniyah bit her lip, glancing at the door. " So. How do you want to end it- _ah_? I don't think we're high enough for you to jump out a window. Oh, I know!" The Joker grabbed a container of pills and handed them to Kopski who refused to take them. " No? Then you can slit your wrists." He grabbed a razor, handing it yo Kopski. He moved his duct taped hands away from the razor. " No, no, no. That's how girls do it." The Joker put the razor down. " And you're a guy, right? What's a manly way to go?" He giggled. " Oh, I know! You could set yourself on fire! Fortunately for you, I brought this." He held up the gasoline,making Kopski's eyes widen. Aniyah inched towards the door as The Joker poured the gasoline on Kopski. " Ya smell that? Gasoline." The Joker turned to grab a lighter and glanced at Aniyah before sighing. " Excuse me for a moment." He put down the camera and picked up his gun. As soon as Aniyah touched the doorknob, he shot at the door, making her yelp and turn to face him. " Maybe I should, uh, invest in an actually leash- _ah_." He walked towards Aniyah as she pressed herself against the door. " Ani-yah." He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her away from the door. " Stand here. Don't move. Don't speak- _ah_. And maybe you won't be in the trunk for the rest of our ride." He said, licking his lips. Aniyah quickly nodded and he let her go. " Good. Now, where was I? Oh yeah." The Joker picked up the camera and the lighter again. He turned on the lighter, but Kopski blew it out. The Joker lit it again, but Kopski blew it out again, sinking into the water some. " I'm trying to help you here. Look, help me help you." The Joker put the lighter down. " Well, it's a little cliche. But you can always shoot yourself." He picked up his gun and help it to Kopski's head. " But you have to pull the trigger. You can't force me to do all of the work." The Joker smirked.

 _' Is he really going to force Kopski to kill himself?'_ Aniyah thought. " So you don't wanna use a gun, huh? Too quick?" The Joker asked, putting the gun down. " Awe. Guy after my own heart." He patted Kopski's head. " Please. Please stop. I don't wanna-"." Oh, maybe your how isn't the problem. Maybe, it's the why. I still can't believe you're gonna do this without telling anyone. What would your loved ones think? It was so unexpected! So, uncharacteristic of you. I'd even call it, insulting- _ah_." The Joker grabbed the suicide note and pencil and put it in front of Kopski. " But don't worry. I thought of everything." He lifted Kopski's hands to hold the pencil. " Wh-What is this?" He asked." What have we been talking about all this time, it's a suicide note." The Joker answered. "To inform your family and loved ones of your impending demise, at your own hands. Oh don't worry. I don't want any credit." He said. " I don't want to kill myself!" Kopski said. " Not according to this letter. Says right her, and I quote: ' I can't take it anymore. This world has gotten too complicated and difficult for me to bare it any longer. My one regret, as I leave this life, is that I won't be making it to the wedding. However, I will be sending someone to take my place.'" The Joker read. Kopski stared at him, pausing. "...Is that my tuxedo?". " Oh you bet it is. I wanna go to the wedding. But, I wasn't invited- _ah_. And, you can't just crash a wedding. Weddings are planned, meticulously. There's always a cake to person ratio that you don't want to disrupt. But with you out of the picture, that delicate cake ratio is still in balance." The Joker said. " This is about cake?!" Kopski yelled. " Well I do love wedding cake. Why someone would wanna, off themselves before getting their designated piece is beyond me. Now, where was I? Oh, ' Goodbye cruel world. Hugs and kisses.' signed, J Kopski. That's you. Now, sign it." The Joker said. Kopski shook his head. " No.". " Just, sign it.". " I'm not gonna sign it, this is madness.". " Hugs and kisses-". " Stop!" Kopski cut The Joker off. " I'm signing it." He said. Aniyah glanced at The Joker then back at Kopski. " _**SIGN IT!**_ " The Joker's voice got deeper, making Aniyah freeze and look at him wide eyed. Kopski quickly grabbed the pencil and signed the note. " Now that wasn't so bad. Piece of cake." The Joker took the pencil and sighed, hearing the camera begin to beep. He smacked it a few times before turning to charge it. He looked at the clock. " Is that the time? I'm gonna be late." The Joker unplugged the clock and plugged in the camera, charging it. " There we go." He turned back to Kopski. " Can you, uh-I hate to cut this short. You go ahead and finish without me. Uh, go ahead and film it if you want." The Joker said. _' What?'_ Aniyah thought. The Joker laughed, throwing the camera into the water. Aniyah screamed and backed up as Kopski got electrocuted. " O-Oh my God!" She quickly covered her eyes. " Where's the fun in that, doll?" The Joker forced Aniyah's hands down with one hand and grabbed her face with the other. " Watch." He said. " No!" Aniyah tried to break free. " Out of all the ways to kill someone, this is one of my favorites-ah. If you look into his eyes,you can see that his brain is getting fried." The Joker chuckled. Aniyah glanced into Kopski's eyes and froze. _' He's right.'_ It was almost like you could see Kopski's life flashing before his eyes. " Interesting, isn't it-ah?" The Joker smirked as Kopski's eyes blew out of his head, making Aniyah flinch and gag, whimpering loudly. " No time to waste. Let's go doll." The Joker pulled Aniyah out of the bathroom.


	12. Chapter 11

" Careful, doll." The Joker helped Aniyah back to the car. He threw his old clothes into the car and fixed his bow tie in the mirror as Dr. Arkham glared at him. The Joker caught his glare and glanced at him, bending down some. " Ya look grumpy." He said. " Yes. Yes I am grumpy. My wife is at home. With a bundle of dynamite to keep her company. Uh, it's cold out here. Definitely not warm. This jumpsuit, never been washed in its life. I don't know what you did in it, but someone clearly isn't doing their laundry duties. And tell ya what else. Incredibly dangerous place in town. Uh, there's a homeless man, sleeping over-oh. Oh he's awake." Aniyah looked in the direction Dr. Arkham was looking to see a man hiding behind a fence, watching them. " You're worried about him?" The Joker asked. " Yes! What would you do if you came back and both Pearl and I were dead?". " You know what, I would offer him a job." The Joker answered. Aniyah glanced at him. " Y-You need us." Dr. Arkham said. The Joker laughed. " I need you?". " Yeah." Dr. Arkham glared at him as he unlocked his cuffs. " I'm gonna show you just how replaceable you are." The Joker looked at Aniyah and grabbed her arm, walking off as Dr. Arkham followed with the camera.

The Joker pulled out his gun and walked towards the dumpster that the man ran off to. Aniyah looked back up at Kopski's apartment building. She felt her stomach lurch, remembering the way Kopski's eyes blew out of his head. _' Oh my God.'_ Aniyah felt the bile rising and quickly filling her mouth. She threw up, leaning against the brick wall beside her as she closed her eyes tightly. " Was that too much for you, doll? Maybe I did get a bit carried away with the camera." The Joker walked towards Aniyah and bent down some. " I just want to go home." She mumbled. " What was that?". " Home! I just want to go home! Let me go home." Aniyah started to cry. " Home? I didn't even show you your surprise yet!". " I-I don't-I just-". " Well. If you want to go home that bad, we can, drop by to see Mr. Billionaire and, what was the butler's name? Alfred-ah?" The Joker asked. Aniyah looked at him with wide eyes. " Do you want to do that?" He asked, glaring into her eyes. " N-No." She shook her head. He grabbed her face, wiping the tears from her eyes. " That's what I thought." He said. Aniyah felt a bit light headed, but she managed to stand straight up. The Joker walked back to the dumpster and grabbed the homeless man by his shirt, lifting him up and holding the gun to him. " Do you want to die?" He asked the man. " I, uh-woo...I...kind of." The man nodded. The Joker and Dr. Arkham glanced at each other as Aniyah stared blankly at the man. " Uh, what?" Dr. Arkham asked. " Well, you see, I was, uh, fired from my job for inappropriate interaction with a female coworker. My wife left me after she found out about said inappropriate interaction with a female coworker. She took my daughter. Her last words were: " I hope Daddy burns in Hell for what he's done." After the divorce, and alimonies and lack of income, the government took my home. Basically for a misunderstanding known as tax evasion. I lived in my car for just a little while until some weird, armored motorcycle came along and just blew it up before disappearing into a shopping mall." The man explained. _' Batman.'_ Aniyah thought as The Joker smirked. " Unfortunately, I wasn't in the car. So yeah. Kind of wanna die right now." The man finished. " What's your name?" The Joker asked. " Theodore." The man answered. " Well, Ted. Come on." The Joker helped Theodore out of the dumpster. " Oh good. Helping the homeless. Fantastic." Dr. Arkham deadpanned. The Joker looked at Dr. Arkham. " Gimme your wallet." He said. " What?" Dr. Arkham asked. The Joker rolled his eyes and held his gun to him. " Gimme your wallet." He repeated. Dr. Arkham sighed, giving his wallet to The Joker. " How would you like to make a hundred-" The Joker pulled a twenty dollar bill out of Dr. Arkham's wallet and looked at him. " Twenty dollars?" He asked. " I don't carry much with me. I have a bank account. What did you expect?" Dr. Arkham said as The Joker shook his head. " Twenty dollars." He looked back at Theodore. " I don't have to take my pants off, do I?" Theodore asked. Aniyah bit her lip, holding in her laugh. " No, no. You're gonna help us make a movie." The Joker said. Theodore looked at the camera, Dr. Arkham, then at Aniyah. " What kind of movie? Again, I don't have to take my pants off, do I?" He asked. " No,let's keep those on." Dr. Arkham said as Aniyah snorted.

" Get your mind out of the gutter, both of you." The Joker said to Theodore and Dr. Arkham. " Well, I do sometimes sleep in one." Theodore said. " Well not anymore. Jerry. Give Teddy your camera." The Joker said. Theodore pulled down his hat, revealing that it was a ski mask. " Oh,you've come prepared." The Joker chuckled. Dr. Arkham gave Theodore the camera and they walked back to the car. Aniyah sat in the middle, her stomach now at ease as Pearl began to drive. " You think you can grab your phone?" Dr. Arkham whispered to her. Aniyah looked at him then glanced at her purse. " I'll see." She whispered back, glancing at Theodore as he recorded. " You're doing great, by the way." The Joker said to Theodore. " I used to be a cameraman for GCN." Theodore said. " Oh. A professional. Finally." The Joker gave Dr. Arkham an icy look. " Oh, I get it. Cute." Dr. Arkham deadpanned. " Where are we going?" Theodore asked. " It's a surprise." The Joker said. " Is it gonna be dangerous?". " Probably.". " Can I...Can I have a gun?" Theodore asked. " Yeah, I don't see why not." The Joker shrugged. " Oh my God." Aniyah mumbled as he handed a gun to Theodore. " Yeah. Don't see why not. Not at all. Let's give the degenerate with a death wish, a gun! That's a great idea. Since it's close to Christmas can I please have a flamethrower or something else horrible?" Dr. Arkham asked. " You know what, I didn't see any at Lyle's place or else I would've grabbed one." The Joker smirked before turning back to Theodore. " Feels empowering, doesn't it? Bet you wish you had one of those when you were kicked out of your house, or fired from your job, or disciplining your children." The Joker said as Theodore played around with the gun. " Could you, keep it still instead of being a neurotic idiot with it." Dr. Arkham said to Theodore. Theodore shot the gun near Aniyah's head, making her scream and move closer to Dr. Arkham while Pearl slammed on the brakes. " Be careful with the damn gun!" Dr. Arkham yelled. " You just lost your gun privileges." The Joker took the gun from Theodore and held it to his throat, glaring at him. " That was too close to Ani-yah. And she's off limits- _ah_." He said. " Is, she your girlfriend?" Theodore asked. " I'm not-". " Yes. Yes she is." The Joker glanced at Aniyah. " Now, if you would've hit Pearl. Then you could've kept it." He said, looking back at Theodore. " I never fired a gun before." Theodore said, slight excitement in his voice. " Obviously." Aniyah snapped, glaring at him. The Joker chuckled. " Never? Well you're in for a treat. Let me show ya how it's done. Are you right or left handed?" He asked Theodore. " Uh, right." Theodore answered. " Then this should be interesting." The Joker put the gun in Theodore's right hand. " Please do not ruin my car any further." Dr. Arkham said. " Once you get a good grip, find your target." The Joker aimed the gun at Pearl's head. " Now finally, don't just pull the trigger. Squeeze it." The Joker instructed. " Don't." Aniyah sat up. " Come on. Squeeze it." The Joker said. " Just, put the gun down." Dr. Arkham said as Aniyah grabbed Pearl's arm, trying to calm her down glaring at The Joker and Theodore. " Don't!". " Squeeze it- _ah_." The Joker urged Theodore to shoot the gun.

Suddenly, a helicopter flew over them, its search light shining through the streets. It was quiet until the helicopter was out of sight. _' Well at least they're looking.'_ Aniyah's thought immediately went to Bruce. _' He must be worried sick.'_ She thought. " I wonder who they're looking for." The Joker looked at Theodore. " Say...you're not some, gun-totting maniac with a insatiable blood lust, are you?" He took the gun away from Theodore before looking back at Pearl, who gripped the steering wheel tightly. " Why are we stopping, you're the only one who knows the way to the church.". " I-I just want to see my family." Pearl said. " Well, we're your family now!". " I just want to go home, let me go home!"." This is your home." The Joker said. Aniyah saw this as an opportunity to get her phone while he was distracted. She slowly dug into her purse and grabbed it. " No, no it's not-". " Well we could stop by. And I could read your son a bedtime story." The Joker offered as Aniyah unblocked Bruce. Her and Dr. Arkham glanced at each other before she started to send him a message. " Listen, if there's one thing I learned about my family, it's that home, is where the hurt is- _ah_." The Joker said. Before Aniyah could send the text message, her phone began to ring, making her yelp. " Ani-yah." The Joker grabbed her by her hair. " I thought I told you to block Mr. Billionaire." He seethed, snatching the phone from her. " I-I did!" She responded quickly. He glanced at the caller I.D. " Oh. It's just Michaela." He looked at Aniyah. " Now it would be rude if you didn't answer." The Joker gave her the phone." And, uh, put it on speaker." He said. Aniyah hesitantly answered the phone and put it on speaker. "...Hello?". " WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Michaela yelled. " Michaela, calm down-". " Don't tell me to calm down! You didn't take your car or the Chrysler! You're not answering Bruce's calls and Harleen said you aren't at the wedding yet! I'm not stupid, Aniyah!". " Michaela please calm down!". "..I'm in Gotham, Aniyah." Michaela said. Aniyah froze. " Michaela. Get back on that bus and leave.". " No! Not without you! Aniyah if I go back you could be dead by the time I get home!". " Did you thinking about getting yourself killed if you came here?!" Aniyah hissed. " I just want you to be safe! I came here to get you. Bruce has the entire police department looking for you." Michaela sighed. " Let's pay her a visit." The Joker said quietly. Aniyah glanced at him and sighed. " Look, Michaela, just, stay there and DON'T call the police...I'm coming there, okay?". " Don't call the police? Aniyah are you-". " Michaela. I'm serious. Don't do it." Aniyah said. "...Fine." Michaela hung up as Pearl started to drive again. Aniyah quickly got off of her messages after she hung up and turned off her phone.

Aniyah sighed, closing her eyes. " Good girl." The Joker pulled her closer, making her open her eyes. She froze, realizing how close they were, his lips lingering over hers. _' No!'_ Aniyah tried to pull away, but he yanked her by her hair, making her yelp. Pearl glanced at them before making a sharp turn, sending Aniyah into Theodore as The Joker hit the car door. _' Thank you, Pearl.'_ Aniyah sighed, closing her eyes again. " Careful, Pearl. If you hurt Ani-yah, I'll kill you- _ah_." The Joker licked his lips, glaring at her. Pearl nodded frantically. " And speed up. This isn't in our schedule so we have to make it quick." He said. " Please don't hurt her." Aniyah sat up. " It depends, doll. We'll see when we get there." The Joker took her phone and threw it out of the car. " Won't be needing that anymore." He said. ' Damn.' She glanced back before looking back at him. " Can't we just leave her alone? We don't have to-". " Are you afraid she might die?" The Joker smirked. Aniyah didn't respond, making him chuckle. " I think," He pulled Aniyah closer. " We should, uh, meet each other's friends. It strengthens our relationship- _ah_." He said. Aniyah tried to pry his hand off, glaring at him. " There is no relationship.". " Believe me, you'd be dead if there wasn't one, doll. You think I'd let just any woman walk out of my cell alive?" The Joker asked, referring to the first time they met. Their noses were touching now. " So tell me, doll. What's going to happen next? Writers like you should at least have a prediction." He glanced down at her lips, licking his own. A quick thought of Michaela dying ran through Aniyah's head before she shook it away. " Why would I waste my time trying to predict what an unpredictable man does next?" She managed to push him away. The Joker laughed. " Well then I shouldn't predict what you do, Ani-yah.". " I am _**not**_ like you." She hissed. " Come on, doll. I wouldn't be attracted to just _anyone_. Who do you take me as?" He asked. Aniyah didn't respond, sitting back and looking away. " Now, let's go see Michaela."

 __

" Come on, Ted. We need you to come with us." The Joker said. As soon as Theodore got out of the car, The Joker grabbed Aniyah's arm. " Do we really have time for this? Don't you want to get to the wedding?" Aniyah put on dead weight, trying to stop him from taking her into the bus station. The Joker glanced back at her. " Ani-yah-". " She's not that important, just, leave her alone." Aniyah grabbed his arm, looking up at him with pleading eyes. " Tell ya what. If you can convince Michaela to go home, I won't touch her. Deal?" The Joker asked. "...Only if you agree to stay away from us while I do it." She said. " Fine. Then I'm giving you five minutes. Think you can handle that, doll?" He asked. "...Yes." Aniyah nodded. " Good." Let's go." The Joker walked into the bus station. " Your five minutes start now. Don't try anything stupid- _ah_." He let go of Aniyah. She nodded and quickly took off, looking around for Michaela. Aniyah caught sight of familiar curly hair and ran towards it. " Michaela!" She called. Michaela turned around and hugged Aniyah tightly. " Thank God you're not hurt. What happened?" She asked, checking Aniyah for any injuries. " You look sick. Is that blood on your dress? It's not yours is it?" Michaela asked. " No, it's not mine. It's okay, I'm okay. Look i don't have much time, but you need to-". " Aniyah Marie Bluebell you are not about to tell me to leave, are you?" Michaela's light brown eyes hardened. " If you're not on the next bus taking you out of Gotham in the next three minutes, you're going to die!"." I don't give a fuck what's going to happen. I am _**not**_ leaving you!" Michaela hissed. " ** _Michaela!_** " Aniyah grabbed her arms, looking directly into her eyes. " The last place I want to be is at your funeral." She said softly.

Michaela paused and looked away. " And you really think I want to be at yours, Aniyah?" She asked, tears brimming her eyes. Aniyah shook her head. " Don't. If you cry, I'm gonna cry and it won't be pretty." She smiled slightly, making Michaela let out a small laugh. " If I play my cards right, I won't die. Just trust me." She hugged Michaela tightly. " Aniyah, I'm so sorry." Michaela mumbled, hugging back. " Sorry for-". " Oh my God. ANIYAH DUCK!" Michaela pulled her to the ground as a gun went off and people began to scream and run around. " Please tell me you didn't call the police." Aniyah looked at Michaela. " I didn't. Bruce did." Michaela answered. " What the f-get up! I need to get out of here now." Aniyah pulled Michaela to her feet and started to run towards the back of the building, pushing people out of the way. _' Where the Hell is the emergency exit?!'_ She thought. She caught sight of the exit sign and ran for it. " Almost there." She mumbled. Michaela let out a pained scream and fell to the ground, taking Aniyah with her. She hissed slightly as her ankle twisted in her heel before looking at Michaela. " Oh my God!" She crawled over to Michaela, realizing she got shot in the leg. " Shit." Aniyah hissed, putting pressure on Michaela's calf. " You can't say I didn't warn you." She looked back to see The Joker. " Don't shoot her! It was me, I called the police!" Aniyah said as Michaela sat up. " Aniyah." She grabbed onto Aniyah's arm as The Joker glared at them before giving his gun to Theodore. " Okay. I won't shoot her." He grabbed Aniyah's wrist and yanked her away from Michaela. " Do you know what it feels like to watch someone you love die?" The Joker asked. Aniyah froze then looked up at him. "..Joker-". " It's, uh, not the best feeling. It's like, well, I can't exactly describe it. Ted." The Joker glanced at Theodore then at Michaela. " Squeeze it- _ah_.". " NO!" Aniyah screamed. Theodore quickly held the gun up to Michaela and pulled the trigger, shooting her in the head. " MICHAELA!" Aniyah tried to run towards her, but The Joker held her back. " Let it sink in, doll." He said as Aniyah tried to pry his hand off as she cried, watching the blood pool from Michaela's head and staring into her now lifeless eyes. _' Michaela.'_ She thought, closing her eyes. " Now, we have a wedding to get to." Aniyah didn't struggle as The Joker picked her up and walked out of the bus station, back to the car. " Well, we've wasted all of our spare time." He opened the trunk. " Let's get going." He said. " What the Hell happened in there?" Dr. Arkham asked, looking at Aniyah. " Nothing much. Just a friendly reunion." The Joker put Aniyah in the trunk. " Ani-yah just needs a little time to herself." He said before closing the trunk. " Michaela." Aniyah curled up into a ball as she cried.

 ****

 _' You need to get out! You can't just sit there!'_ Aniyah let out a shaky sigh and slowly opened her eyes. _' Find a way out.'_ She thought as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She felt something hit her leg as she shifted and grabbed it. The only thing she could see clearly was the white bow. Aniyah felt around the object and made it out to be a gun. "...Are you fucking kidding me? This was **_always_** here?!" She seethed as the trunk opened. " Oh, you grabbed the wedding present. Good call." The Joker took the gun from Aniyah before helping her out of the trunk. Her ankle was still a bit sore from landing on it wrong back at the bus station. " Woah! There was a shotgun in there, the entire time?!" Dr. Arkham yelled as The Joker pulled Aniyah by her arm, walking towards the church.


	13. Chapter 12

" You're not going to kill her, are you?" Aniyah glanced at The Joker. " Why would I kill her?" He asked. " I don't know, why would you?" She mumbled. " I like Harleen too much to kill her. She's very, entertaining. Her groom on the other hand, we can do without." The Joker said. " Why do want to kill him? What's the purpose?" Right now, Aniyah was desperately trying to figure out what was about happen. " What happened to not predicting what happens next, Ani-yah? Besides, you're about to find out." He said. " You know, Harleen only wanted to help." Aniyah looked at The Joker. " So why ruin her wedding?" She asked. " You're just itching to know the surprise! Here's a hint," The Joker opened the doors to the church and smiled at Aniyah. " I'm glad you're wearing white." He pushed her inside before going in himself and walking forward.

Aniyah looked around before looking inside chapel. She smiled slightly, looking at Harleen before looking at The Joker. " Don't do this." She said to him. He glanced at her before grabbing her arm. " Where's the fun in that?" He walked into the chapel and let go of Aniyah's arm. " And if there's anyone here, who has any objection as to why these two should not be in union, please, speak now, or forever hold your-" The pastor got cut off by The Joker shooting him in the stomach. Everyone gasped, looking in their direction. " Aniyah!" Harleen gasped. " Stay put, doll." The Joker said to Aniyah before signalling the man recording the wedding to follow him as he walked down the isle. " Just tell us what you want and nobody has to get hurt." A man said, standing in front of Harleen and her groom. " What if what I want, is for someone else to get hurt?" The Joker asked. " look, I just don't want anything to happen to my daughter." The man said. Aniyah scoffed lightly and looked away. The Joker looked at Harleen then chuckled, looking back at her father. " I'm not telling you how to raise your child or anything. But, you should've thought about that before you gave her away." the Joker hit Harleen's father with the butt of his gun, knocking him to the ground. " Hey! Stop it! Stop it!" Harleen hissed, gaining his attention. " Oh, we can't stop here! As much as I would just love to skip to the wedding cake, that's just not how it's done." The Joker said, stepping closer. " Besides, the best man just got here." He said, fixing his suit. " What did you do to my brother?" The groom glared at The Joker, stepping closer to him. " I didn't do anything to your brother, he killed himself! Oh it was terrible. I was shocked, but uh, he was more shocked. He wanted me to take his place so here I am." The Joker smirked before looking at Harleen. " Honestly, ya look like ya don't wanna go through with this, Doc. Are you ready for this?". " Leave us alone!" Harleen seethed.

The Joker chuckled. " Come on, Doc! Answer the question- _ah_. Because frankly, the last time we had our little chat, you didn't sound up to leaving Gotham, or getting married. Do you **_really_** want to go through with this?" He asked. Harleen opened her mouth, but closed it again. " See, that's why you need a best man! You can't have a wedding without one. It just isn't done! 'Cause ya see, the best man is the most reliable in case the entire wedding goes downhill. Like, the groom dying." The Joker glared at the groom before shooting him in the chest. Everyone ran out of the church as Aniyah ran to Harleen to try and help stop the blood from gushing out of her groom's wound. " Guy. Guy! Oh my God." Harleen mumbled as he choked on his blood. " Stay with us." The Joker bent down as well, watching Aniyah and Harleen try to stop the bleeding. Guy slowly stopped moving as his eyes closed. Honestly, it was the most peaceful death Aniyah has seen tonight. " Hm. Shame." The Joker looked over at Harleen. She quickly stood up, but he shot her in the arm, sending her back to the ground. " HARLEEN!" Aniyah tried to help her, but The Joker grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. " She's fine." He said, glancing at Harleen. " Now. If something, horrific like this were to happen, it's the best man's job to do what's right. And, we can't just let this wedding go to waste, now can we?" The Joker smirked. " W-What?" Aniyah asked as he grabbed her hand. " Here's your surprise." The Joker pulled a diamond ring from his pocket and slid it onto Aniyah's finger as she stood, frozen. " I stole it from Mrs. Arkham." He giggled as she stared at the ring. The Joker pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. Aniyah tried to break free, but he grabbed her face, keeping her still.

" You may kiss the bride- _ah_." He said before smashing his lips onto hers. Aniyah's eyes widened as she froze up again. She felt her heart beat beginning to pick up and whimpered as he deepened the kiss, feeling his scars run across her cheeks. " We'll be together, til' death do us part." He chuckled as Aniyah closed her eyes and turned away. " Look at me." The Joker made her face him again. " Come on, doll. Open your eyes." He ran his thumb across her cheek as she slowly opened her eyes. " You're mine, Ani-yah." He said darkly. " I-I'm not." Aniyah tried to pull herself away. " **_Stop struggling_**." He growled, glaring into her eyes. She slowly stopped moving and shrunk back some. His voice wasn't like it was when he yelled at Kopski, but it was a close second. Before The Joker could kiss her again, the sound of glass breaking made him quickly pull away and hold his shotgun tightly. Aniyah stumbled back, looking around as she breathed heavily. Suddenly, the lights went out, making her freeze. _' What the Hell?'_ She looked around in the darkness and managed to get next to Harleen was and jumped back some hearing The Joker fire his gun. _' It's Batman. It has to be.'_ Aniyah thought. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw The Joker laugh and run off. " Harleen." Aniyah glanced at her. " You need to go get help.". " You're coming with me.". " No. I need to stay. Just go and hurry!" Aniyah helped Harleen up. " I'm so sorry." She shook her head. " It's not your fault." Harleen rested a hand on Aniyah's shoulder and for a split second, she thought of Michaela. Aniyah bit her lips to keep from breaking down as Harleen ran off. She took a deep breath and went in the same direction The Joker and Batman went in, leading her to the basement of the church. She quietly went down the steps and saw that Batman had The Joker up against the wall, with blades to his neck. She saw the shotgun on the ground and quickly picked it up. " I'm staring to wonder if it was a mistake letting you live." Batman seethed. " Go ahead if you think it'll help. You wanna know what the only difference is between you and me? One. Bad. Day- _ah_." The Joker said. _' Batman's supposed to be a hero. Where was he when I needed him? When Kopski needed him.'_ Aniyah glared at Batman, aiming the gun at him. _' When Michaela needed him.'_ She shot him without hesitation, sending him to the ground. She blinked and her glare softened. " O-Oh my God. I just-" Aniyah stared at Batman and relief went through her when she saw that he was breathing.

" You do not get to do that." The joker tried to take the gun from Aniyah but she held onto it tighter, refusing to let it go. " Let it go!" She cocked the gun back, aiming it at his face. The Joker grabbed the barrel of the gun and put it in his mouth, looking her dead in the eyes, waiting for her to shoot. Aniyah put her finger on the trigger, but a strong pain in her chest made her hesitate. He took the gun out of his mouth and pulled her forward. " Go ahead and do it- _ah_. Or am I the only thing left you have to hold on to?" He grabbed Aniyah's face, keeping her still. " Michaela's dead and it seems like Mr. Billionaire didn't even try-". " Oh I can guarantee that all of GCPD is looking for you and it has _everything_ to do with Bruce!". " Well they aren't looking hard enough." The Joker pulled her closer. " You wanted this to happen anyway. You had, so many opportunities to leave and you stayed put. An obsessed patient like me breaks out and you **_still_** stay? If that's not an invitation then I don't know what is!" Their noses were touching again. " You practically did all of this, yourself- _ah_." The Joker leaned in more, about to kiss her. _' Shoot the bastard.'_ Aniyah shot The Joker in his arm, making him fall to the ground and groan out in pain. She stumbled back to the opposite wall and ran her fingers through her now tangled hair before covering her face. _' He's right.'_ She thought, dropping the gun. " I understand. You had to make it look convincing." The Joker said as she started to cry. " Well at least we get to, cut the wedding cake." He pulled out his switchblade and turned to where Batman was, only to see that he was gone. The Joker sighed before looking at the man recording. " Guess it's just you and me." He said. " Please don't kill me." The man said. " I'm gonna need that tape." The Joker said. The man didn't respond, staring at him. The Joker rolled his eyes and lunged at him, stabbing him in the neck and twisting the blade. " There." He took the tape and put it in his pocket before looking at Aniyah. He pulled his switchblade out of the man's neck and walked to Aniyah, getting on his knees in front her.

" You're crying like you have no one, doll." The Joker lifted Aniyah's head up. " You'll always have me, Ani-yah." He grabbed her arm and pressed his switchblade onto her forearm before slowly dragging it down. Aniyah let out a pained cry, trying to pull her arm away. It felt like he was carving something into her arm." Shhh. Look at me and focus." He said. " F-Focus?". " Don't you feel weight being lifted off of you chest?" The Joker said, glancing down at her arm. Once he was done, he put his switchblade away, staring into Aniyah's teary eyes. " Ya know, sometimes pain can help you more than love can, doll." He said. Aniyah stared him before leaning forward and kissing him. The Joker immediately kissed back, grabbing the back of her neck to pull her closer. After a few moments, he pulled away, letting Aniyah catch her breath. " As much as I'd love to live out _**every second**_ of my dream, we'll have to put that on hold." He pulled Aniyah to her feet then put his hand back on his wound. ' Fuck. I-I just kissed The Joker.' She thought as her head began to hurt. " Let's go. We have to get back to Mrs. Arkham before midnight, remember?" The Joker smirked.

 **It was 11.**


	14. Chapter 13

The Joker ran back to the car with Aniyah right behind him.

" Step on it." The Joker ordered as they both climbed into the car.

" So, how was the wedding?" Theodore asked. __

 _' Asshole.'_ Aniyah glanced at him as The Joker also shot him a glare before focusing on Pearl again.

" Step on it or papa spank."

" W-What?" Pearl asked.

" Do I have to elaborate?" The Joker hissed.

Pearl drove off as he got himself situated, taking off his jacket to show his bullet wound under his bloody dress shirt.

" Woah, what happened?" Theodore asked.

" Why don't you ask Ani-yah?" The Joker Glanced at her and as quickly looked away. " Turn in here." He said, pointing to a nearby parking garage.

Aniyah felt a dull pain in her forearm. _' Oh right. He cut me.'_ She sighed, looking at her arm, flinching as she wiped the blood away. She looked at the cut and froze. __

 _ **' Fuck.'**_

It was a J. The Joker carved a J into her arm. Aniyah wiped away the rest of the blood on her dress before covering it with her hand, not wanting to look at it.

" Do you need any help with that?" Theodore asked The Joker as he bandaged his wound with a piece of his shirt. " I used to be a medic."

Aniyah and The joker stared at him as Dr. Arkham rolled his eyes. __

 _' I'm starting to think you had every fucking job in Gotham.'_ Aniyah thought.

She tensed up, hearing police sirens. The Joker paused, then grabbed his pistol.

" Oh God." Pearl whimpered, trying to free herself from the handcuffs on her wrist.

" Oh what's wrong now, huh?" The Joker snapped, turning to face her.

" Just leave her alone, okay?" Dr. Arkham sat up some.

Theodore picked up a pair of hedge trimmers that was in the car, holding them to Dr. Arkham's neck. " Dun, dun, dun….." He trailed dramatically.

Aniyah inched closer to the door, away from Theodore.

" Maybe it would help if I cheered you up with a little bedtime story." The Joker said to Pearl.

Theodore put the trimmers down and climbed out of the car, moving to the side of the car to get a better angle while recording.

" You're-You're nothing but a big bully, you know that?" Pearl hissed.

" A big bully?" The Joker tilted his head as Pearl nodded.

" Yeah." She said.

" Let me tell you a story about bullies, to cheer you up! Like,oh, I dunno. How I got these scars." The Joker smirked as Aniyah glanced at him, slightly interested.

" So, when I was a kid, I used to _love_ to go fishing at camp. But I could never get those little worms, on the hook." As The Joker talked, he pulled out his switchblade, flipping it open, causing Pearl to flinch.

" Oh God." Pearl backed up as much as she could, but The Joker just pulled her back, shaking his head.

" Oh that's not the sad part. So one day, these boys decide to show me how it's done. They take the fishing rods and they take me out to the end of the dock, and they stick hooks in my mouth. And then, they **pushed** me into the water."

Aniyah grabbed Pearl's hand, trying to comfort her as she yelped.

" And railed me back in. Just like a fish. You know what I did then? I burned their cabin down, while they slept. And they **roasted** ** _-ah_**. And I never did, have any problems with those little worms again. Here let me show ya." The Joker pressed his switchblade into Pearl's mouth but before he could continue, a search light covered the car.

" This is the Gotham City Police Department."

Aniyah gasped and looked over at the policemen. She didn't know if she should be happy or nervous.

" We have you surrounded. Stand down and release the hostages."

The Joker put his switchblade away and pulled out an AK-47.

' Nervous. I should be nervous.' Aniyah gulped.

" I'm not an accomplice!" Dr. Arkham quickly climbed out of the car and ran off.

Aniyah watched him run off, but was scared to do the same. The Joker looked at her and smirked.

" Duck, Ani-yah." He ordered.

She looked at him then quickly complied as he shot his gun, killing one of the officers. __

 _' Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.'_ She should run. She should really run. She didn't want to risk getting shot, but she didn't want to risk seeing what The Joker would do if she ran.

The Joker grabbed Aniyah, pulling her out of the car and wrapping his arm around her waist. She looked at Pearl and realized that The Joker knocked her out. Aniyah yelped and tried to break out of The Joker's hold as he shot and killed more officers. He glanced at Theodore, lowering the gun.

" Tell me ya got all that." He said.

Theodore nodded as Aniyah rolled her eyes. She screamed and grabbed onto The Joker's arm as the police began shooting at them.

" Don't worry, doll! They're not going to shoot you." He used Aniyah as a shield before ducking behind a car. He dropped the AK and pulled out his pistol before looking at Theodore, pulling out another pistol. " Gun privileges reinstated." He handed the gun to Theodore.

He took the gun and started to shoot at the police officers as The Joker pulled Aniyah to her feet and started to push her to the staircase on the other side of the parking garage.

" Watch your step." The Joker giggled as Aniyah stumbled down the steps. He grabbed her arm and forced her to stop as a police car pulled up at the bottom of the stairway. The Joker pulled Aniyah close to him as he and Theodore shot the police officer.

" Perfect." The Joker walked down the rest of the steps and to the police car, letting go of Aniyah and opening the back door, signalling her to get in. She complied, climbing into the cop car as he closed the door and got in the driver's seat, quickly pulling off. Aniyah sat back and closed her eyes. __

 _' So much for that. The Joker wouldn't even let me out of his sight.'_ She thought. She stared out of the window, watching as they passed police cars.

" They think we're one of them now." Theodore chuckled.

Aniyah glanced at him then rolled her eyes, leaning her head against the window. She was tired, but sleep was the last thing on her mind right now. She was worried about Mrs. Arkham. She couldn't imagine how Dr. Arkham would feel if she died, where ever he was right now.

 _' Okay but what about you?' Aniyah froze, blinking. ' You saw what he did. He killed Michaela. Your best friend. And he supposedly 'likes' you. Do you honestly think that Mrs. Arkham will survive? Her story ends at midnight, so stop worrying about that.'_ She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. " Okay." She mumbled. __

 _' Two choices are left. Die or survive. Running away is under the death category, you saw what happened last time. So is fighting back. Do what he says. Just because he like you doesn't mean he won't kill you. But surviving means you're his. Forever.'_ Aniyah shivered at the thought. _' Don't do anything stupid and you won't have to worry about dying.'_ Aniyah closed her eyes.

" It's uh, it's a tough deed working in Gotham. And to be a cop you gotta worry about not just your typical riff-raff,you gotta worry about your freaks and lunatics running around. Oh, look! There's one now." The Joker said.

Aniyah opened one eye and saw Dr. Arkham running towards the car. "...Were you just acting like you were a cop?" She asked The Joker.

" Who says I'm not a cop?" He smirked, stopping the car as Aniyah glared at him. " Make room for the doctor, Ani-yah." He said, getting out of the car.

Aniyah moved over so that she was sitting behind Theodore. The Joker pushed Dr. Arkham into the car and closed the door.

" Yeah, you just gotta, run this town with a firm hand, ya know?" The Joker got in the car, looking at the camera before looking back at Dr. Arkham. " Welcome back, Doc." He said.

" I missed you so much." Dr. Arkham deadpanned, covering his face.

Aniyah leaned her head against the window and sighed. She slowly closed her eyes, falling asleep. ** __**

 ** _~~~~~~_**

Aniyah felt someone shake her leg and her eyes shot open.

" Wake up, doll. We're almost there." The Joker glanced at her before looking back at the road.

Aniyah couldn't stop the frustrated groan that left her lips. She didn't want to wake up just yet.

" Drive faster." Dr. Arkham ordered.

Aniyah looked out of the window at the familiar streets and houses.

" Come on, drive faster! It's three minutes to midnight!" Dr. Arkham hissed.

Aniyah bit her lip, but didn't look his way, keeping her eyes glued to the window.

" What are you doing?" Dr. Arkham asked as The Joker turned away from the direction of his house. " My house is on the left. Where are you going?" Dr. Arkham's voice got more desperate the more he talked.

Aniyah sat up as The Joker parked the car.

" Hey! My house is back there!" Dr. Arkham yelled as The Joker got out of the car. " You gotta be kidding me." Dr. Arkham got out of the car as well.

" Now, you promised, that if you did everything that I asked, I'd let you see your wife again." The Joker said as Aniyah and Theodore got out of the car.

" I did, damn it! What do you want?!" Dr. Arkham hissed.

" Do you care about your wife, more than you care about your precious hospital?" The Joker handcuffed Dr. Arkham to the car.

" Of course." He answered, glaring at The Joker. He smirked and pulled out a cellphone, dialing a number before holding the phone to Dr. Arkham's ear.

" Then sell it- _ah_." The Joker ordered, holding his pistol to Dr. Arkham's face.

Dr. Arkham grabbed the phone and sighed. " Just-Just take it. Whatever you want. I just want to see my wife again." He said. __

 _' Who could he possibly be selling Arkham Asylum to?'_ Aniyah thought as The Joker took the phone and put it to his ear.

" Got all that? No, I got him to sign the papers. I'll have them delivered." The Joker glanced at Theodore. " I've got just the man." He said.

" I used to be a delivery man." Theodore gave The Joker a thumbs up as Aniyah shook her head.

" How many jobs did you get fired from?" She looked at him as he faced her with the camera

" Who said I was fired from all of them?" Theodore asked. Aniyah just stared at him, waiting for and answer. "...A lot." He said.

Aniyah rolled her eyes and looked away from him.

" See ya soon." The Joker hung up and put the cellphone away. " Well. Since you've done everything I've asked you," He put his arm around Dr. Arkham's shoulder. " Now we get to celebrate, by watching the fireworks."

Aniyah closed her eyes and turned away as fireworks went off, causing a big explosion and destroying Dr. Arkham's house.

" NO!" Dr. Arkham screamed in horror as The Joker laughed.

Dr. Arkham tried to attack The Joker, but The Joker was faster, knocking him out. He pulled out the cellphone again, dialing another number while sitting down on the ground, sighing. Aniyah opened her eyes slowly, looking at the fireworks before looking away again.

" Oh there's no emergency. I can make it an emergency." Aniyah looked at The Joker as he held his gun to Dr. Arkham then to Theodore.

" Go ahead. Remember to squeeze." Theodore said. __

 _' Did he call 911?'_ Aniyah thought.

" My name's not important. I need a ride." The Joker said.

Aniyah heard mumbling through the phone,so she stepped closer so she could hear better.

" Do you need an ambulance?" The operator asked.

" Oh an ambulance would be great! Can I turn on the sirens?" The Joker asked.

" Sir, if this isn't an emergency then I'm going to have to ask you to-"

" Listen. I'm done here. It's been a long day- _ah_. I'm tired, and I wanna go home. Just get over here. Pick me up." He said.

" I'm going to need a name and an address." The operator said.

" Oh…you'll know where to find me." The Joker hung up the phone and stood up. " Now, Ted. I need you, to deliver these. I've included instructions." He handed Theodore an envelope.

" That's it? You're not gonna kill me?" Theodore asked.

" Maybe next time. One other thing. Someone filmed this while Ani-yah and I were at church. I need you to get this up online, because I'm sure lots of people wanna see it." The Joker gave the tape to Theodore.

" But, I live on the streets. I have no way of getting this to a computer." Theodore said.

" Well that's not gonna stop a capable guy like you, is it?" The Joker asked, taking the camera. " Take care Teddy."

With that, Theodore ran off. Aniyah leaned against the car as The Joker put the camera down and looked at her.

" Just me and you, doll." He walked towards her as she stared up at the fireworks.

" Yeah? So what's next?" She asked, flinching as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her towards him.

" Well, I'm not going to kill you, if that's what's running through that pretty little head of yours. You're mine, remember?" The Joker swiped his thumb across the J on her forearm. " No, no. I'm letting you go."

" What?" Aniyah looked up at him with wide eyes.

The Joker chuckled. " I know. I don't want our date to end either. It was a lot of fun. But all fun things have to end eventually." He sighed, grabbing Aniyah face as the blaring sound of police sirens got louder.

" Don't worry too much, doll. There's be a second date, I promise. Then, uh, I won't let you out of my sight- _ah_." He cooed, making her heart drop.

The Joker kissed her, pulling her closer as the police surrounded them.

" GCPD! Freeze!" An officer yelled.

The Joker was pulled away from Aniyah and forced to the ground.

" Don't miss me too much." He winked while getting cuffed. __

 _' This can't be real.'_ She thought, backing up as The Joker got put into a cop car.

" Aniyah!"

She turned around and her eyes widened. " Bruce!" She ran to him and hugged him tightly.

" Thank God you're alive." Bruce sighed, hugging her as she began to cry.

" You should take her home."

Bruce looked back at Commissioner Gordon.

" We'll call if we have any questions for her." He said.

Bruce nodded. " Thank you, Commissioner." He led Aniyah to his car. " How does tea sound, Blueberry?"

" I-It sounds great. And a hug from Alfred." Aniyah sniffed. " And lots of sleep." She mumbled.

" Don't worry. You're safe now. Let's get you home. We're going to the manor." Bruce helped Aniyah into the car.

She took off her heels and covered her face, letting out a shaky breath.

 _' It's over.'_ She thought, trying to convince herself. _' It's over.'_


	15. Chapter 14

_Aniyah walked into the empty apartment with two boxes and her laptop bag, carefully sitting them down on the floor before standing up straight and sighing._

 _" Um, hi."_

 _Aniyah looked back at her doorway and was greeted by a woman with light brown eyes and a bright smile. " Oh, hi." She responded, smiling slightly._

 _" Do you need help moving in?" The woman asked._

 _" Oh, I don't have a lot, just two more boxes and my suitcase. You don't have to help me." Aniyah said._

 _The woman nodded, crossing her arms. " I'll grab the boxes then." She said._

 _Aniyah shrugged. " Well, okay. Follow me then." Aniyah began to walking towards her car and glanced back at the woman. " What's your name?" She asked._

 _" Oh! I'm Michaela. I just wanted to welcome you." She smiled as they both walked to Aniyah's car. " So, do you prefer Ms. Bluebell or...?" She raised an eyebrow, glancing at Aniyah._

 _Aniyah looked at Michaela and smiled. " Well, Ms. Bluebell is more of my mother's thing. I prefer just Aniyah. Close friends call me Blueberry." Aniyah passed her two boxes to Michaela and grabbed her suitcase before locking up her car._

 _" Awesome! Welcome to Atlanta, Aniyah." Michaela smiled._

 _" Thanks for the warm welcome. And reading my work." Aniyah chuckled._

 _" It was really good, and I usually don't read Science Fiction." Michaela said. " But how come you moved here? I'm sure you could've afforded something way better than an apartment." Michaela sat Aniyah's boxes down once they were in her apartment._

 _" Well, I'd rather not live in a huge house by myself and I travel a lot. I just wanted to leave home for a bit anyway. Nothing too fancy." Aniyah explained._

 _" Makes sense." Michaela nodded._

 _" I don't think the neighbors would've been as nice as you either." Aniyah chuckled._

 _Michaela smiled. " Well, if you want, you can hang out in my place and write. I have tea and some pizza in the oven." She offered._

 _Aniyah smiled. " That sounds awesome." She grabbed her laptop bag and her keys to her apartment, leaving and following Michaela._

 _ **~~~~~~  
**_ " Aniyah?"

Aniyah blinked a few times before glancing at Pearl. " I'm sorry." She looked away from Michaela's coffin and faced Pearl.

" Don't worry, I understand." Pearl looked away. " I, uh, I just wanted to say thank you." She faced Aniyah again. " You helped me. And you didn't need to do that. I'm really thankful."

" You don't have to thank me for that, Pearl." Aniyah hugged Pearl tightly. " I'm just glad you're okay." She pulled away, putting on the best smile she could.

" I'm sorry about, what happened." Pearl gestured towards the coffin. " You'll get through this. You're strong."

Aniyah nodded, biting her lip. " I'd love to keep in touch, if you don't mind."

" I don't mind at all." Pearl smiled.

" Aniyah!" Harleen quickly made her way towards Aniyah and Pearl. " Aniyah I'm so sorry." She hugged Aniyah tightly.

" Harleen-"

" I shouldn't have asked you to come in. I saw the red flag and I tried to use it in my favor. I'm so sorry, Aniyah. All I did was put you in danger." Harleen cut Aniyah off.

"...Harleen. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." Aniyah returned the hug.

" It's not yours either, okay?" Harleen pulled away from the hug and mustered up the best smile she could. " We can't blame anyone but him.

Aniyah immediately shook her head, wiping away the tears that threatened to leave her eyes. " Let's not talk about it. Please." She said quietly.

" Think about therapy, Aniyah. It'll help you get through this." Harleen said.

" I will. I'll think about it." Aniyah nodded. She looked around the church before sighing. _' I guess they're not showing up.'_ She looked back at Michaela's coffin, hesitantly lifting up the cover. Her heart dropped as she looked into Michaela's lifeless eyes and she let out a choked sob.

Harleen and Pearl hugged Aniyah tightly as she cried, telling her that everything would be okay. That they're sorry and that it's over.

 _' It's over.'_

" Aniyah!"

Aniyah tensed, hearing the familiar voice. "...Dad?" She sniffed, turning around. She gasped seeing her father running towards her. " Oh my God, Dad!" She met him halfway and hugged him tightly.

" Thank God you're alive! Why didn't you call me sooner?" He pulled away and looked into her eyes.

" I know, I'm sorry. I'm just glad you're here." She wiped her eyes. " Where's Mom?" She asked as her father brushed her hair back.

" Your mother, she's in Germany." He answered.

"...She couldn't leave?" Aniyah furrowed her eyebrows together as her father sighed.

" She was really busy, Aniyah-"

" So basically, she didn't want to come." Aniyah stared up at her father, silently asking him to stop beating around the bush.

" You know how your mother is, Blueberry. I'm sorry." He sighed.

Aniyah nodded, looking down.

" Mr. Bluebell."

Aniyah's father turned around to see Bruce and he immediately smiled. " Well if it isn't Bruce Wayne. My, look at how much you've grown!"

Bruce smiled slightly and shook his hand as Aniyah chuckled.

" It's very nice to see you again, Mr. Bluebell." Bruce said.

" Yes, I'm glad you were there for my daughter. How are you? How is Alfred?" Aniyah's father asked.

Aniyah slowly backed away to let them talk, walking back towards Harleen and Pearl, taking a deep breath. Harleen grabbed Aniyah's hand, squeezing it slightly. Aniyah smiled at her then looked at Michaela.

" I'm going to miss you. So much." As Aniyah closed Michaela's eyes, she could see Theodore pulling the trigger over and over again.

 **" Squeeze it** ** _-ah_** **."**

Aniyah shivered, taking a deep breath. "...I'll be going to Georgia for a bit, but I'm coming back." She said.

Harleen nodded. " You don't have to come back, you know." She said.

Aniyah shook her head. " I can't stay in Georgia. There are too many reminders of Michaela there. I'd rather stay with Bruce." She said.

" Well we'll be here for you." Pearl nodded, staring at he coffin.

" Thank you." Aniyah said.

 __  
 **" Hello. You've reached Angel. Please leave a message and I'll get back with you as soon as I can."**

When Aniyah heard the beep, she sighed. "...Hey, Mom. Just, checking in. I know it's been, years since we've talked, but it would be nice to see you. Or, hear from you. call me back. Bye." She quickly hung up, staring at Michaela's grave. Her and Bruce were the only two still in the cemetery. Aniyah glanced over at Bruce and walked over to him, looking down at Rachel's grave. " I'm sorry, Bruce." She sighed.

" This isn't about me. I just wanted to make a short visit." Bruce looked at Aniyah. " Where's your Dad?"

" He took off. He said he'd come back with my mother. I doubt it." Aniyah sighed, crossing her arms. " I shouldn't have called them. I should've just-"

" Hey. Your parents needed to know what happened. Your father still cares about you-"

" Nobody could've ever seen me again! My mother thinks her art is more important than me! She always has. If I would've died, she wouldn't have cared!" Aniyah snapped, pinching the bridge of her nose. " My Dad came. I'm happy for that and I love him. I love my mother just as much. She's just-she's difficult." Her phone vibrated as she talked.

" I understand, Aniyah. I just don't think shutting them out is the best response. You'll never know what could happen to them and you'll regret it." Bruce hugged Aniyah as she wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes.

" I know. You're right, I'm just-can we go home?" Aniyah sniffed.

" Yeah. Come on." Bruce and Aniyah began to leave the cemetery. As Aniyah walked, she checked her phone.

 ** _Angel Bluebell has posted a new photo._**

Aniyah rolled her eyes but decided to look at the photo anyway. Her eyes widened once the photo loaded.

 _' Another tragedy in Gotham.'_ The caption read.

Anger welled inside of Aniyah as she stared at the drawing of her auburn eyes with black surrounding them. Michaela's dead body clearly seen in the reflection of the eyes. _' You've got to be fucking kidding me.'_

Bruce glanced at the picture and paused. " Did she really...?"

" Yes. Yes she did. Let's just go. I don't want to talk about it." Aniyah put her phone away.

 _' She wants to play like that? Challenge accepted.'_

 _ **END**_


End file.
